Insanity of the Black Sheep
by RedGrell
Summary: All Katherine McAndrews needed was a tutor for her Chemistry exam. Instead the tutor, the gothic Muchiko Kisaragi has involved Katherine in a mad chase all over Europe to stop her older sister Harumi from committing the most gruesome act anyone has ever seen. Along with rich girl Natasha Nikulina, Katherine has no choice, but to go along and save Europe from the coming apocalypse.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

My story begins in the same way most stories begin: waking up to a lousy sick day with a high fever here in Evanston Illinois. Its funny how things cannot turn up in my favor in this moment; I'm sick, on a Friday, and according to my parents, this would be the perfect time to study for that Chemistry test next week. I'm scared that I might give my homework the flu. I have been getting things done and recovering very well. I must do well in this test, or else no Anime Central convention for me in the next two weeks. What fun.  
Oh I forgot to tell you my name. It's Katherine McAndrews. Yes it sounds funny, but unfortunately, unless I bribe a government official, that's the name I have to live with. Anyway, as I am trying my best to get up and assure myself that I am still alive, my older sister comes thrashing in and tackles me to the bed.  
"Geez sis, can't you knock?" I asked.  
"Only on doors I never own. Except our parents room. Now that would be creepy," she said.  
"What? You want to get sick too?"  
"Mom wanted me to give you this."  
She handed me a bottle of what looked like Danish medicine. You got to hand it to mom on one thing: she goes all out on trying to make us feel better, even if it involves something that taste like the well-famous (well, almost famous) freckle juice.  
"Well," my sister said checking her forehead, "as you can see, I'm not sick. So go and study."  
"Gee thanks," I said with a frown holding the bottle.  
My sister...older sister, Jessie McAndrews (Jessica for all you purists) is what you would call those average type smarts. She's 21 and I'm only 17; about to be 18 in two weeks. A Northwestern University veterinarian wanna-be majoring in environmental science, Jessie is actually is a doll. She's tall, has short black hair and very pretty hazel eyes. She looks out for me, but doesn't look out for the things that she trips over. Once she accidently turn off the lights in our parents' room looking for a watch that Mom says she left in her room. Lights came back on, and with two lamps broken, I don't have a clue as to how she still came out of that room alive.  
Call her clumsy, I just call her the wrong side of a lucky charm.  
I got dressed and put on some Levi's jeans (yes, I know, real mature for someone my age), and my favorite Rolling Stones t-shirt. I have long dark black hair and brown eyes. The only thing that seems to be a problem with me is my height. I'm only 5' 6''. Yes, really short. I consider myself athletic and I do love to run track, but still, I wish to be tall like my sister. I look up to her a lot, but that's the one thing she will always pick on me on. It's still so unfair.  
With my slippers on, flu or no flu, I was ready to see the world and get some adventure, with some doctor recommended doses of Vitamin D, thanks to the sun...  
...only problem was, my doll of a sister Jessie was standing between me and the stairs.  
"Mom says back to your room. Your breakfast will be delivered shortly," she said.  
"Well, can I at least step out to use the restroom?" I said.  
She pointed to the door next to hers.  
"Just right across from you o.k. sugah?" she said and kissed me on the cheek.  
"Gee thanks. Oh and keep trying to get yourself sick because it isn't working."  
She turned her back and gave a peace sign while almost...almost falling down the stairs.  
This is why it's fun to have two lawyers as parents: to keep me locked up in my room until I get better or else, if anyone gets sick, I'll be "locked" up here for much longer; and they're lawyers, so they will damn well make it happen. After my usage in the restroom, I see Jessie actually deliver my breakfast in a brown box. This is exactly why I have her as a sister; she's probably the best person who can make me laugh. I locked myself in my room, with my own key from the table, and started to work on studying at 9:30 in the morning. My room is pretty much the ordinary looking room that every girl has: just with nothing pink. It featured a computer, a closet, a bed, and a cabinet full of books. Some were from school while most of them were books I had since I was younger. I opened my chemistry textbook to the section of making experiments with usage of the periodic table. Man, I still don't get how Earth has so many elements. I would understand if it wants to make the other planets jealous or something, but it's being a bit too harsh for my taste.  
At least the eggs were good.  
So here I am, writing down stuff needed to make Hydrochloric Acid, or as its better known, "spirits of salt". I just began to laugh. Probably the best sounding name I have ever heard reading a textbook.  
The formula is as follows:

HCl + H2O → H3O+ + Cl−

There's a random H3O in this formula. So I'm guessing it was some sort of extreme powerful type of water. All of a sudden without knocking, Jessie comes barging in.  
"Hey buddy, you need help?" she asks.  
"Yes I…wait, my room was locked. How did you get in here?" I said surprised.  
"Simple: with my trusty hairpin, I can pick the lock of your door very silently without you even hearing a thing. I'm sure I did mention that to you once before."  
Yup, she is truly a doll of a sister.  
"Well, what do you know about this stuff called chemistry?" I asked.  
"Not much. I'm just here to let you know that you probably won't be escaping here in this room without a good 8 hours of studying."  
"Thanks."  
"Which would probably be until 5:30 if I'm not mistaken."  
"I said you're welcome."  
"Hey, it's only Mom and Dad's orders. They want to cram and cram all of this stuff in your little head of yours," she said taking my head and pretending to squeeze it.  
For a pretend squeeze, that really did hurt.  
So she left. Thank goodness. Now I can try and tell my brain to wake up without any disturbances.  
Well the town of Evanston is a bit too small to live in but at least Chicago is a couple of blocks south of us.  
Couple of blocks means around 10 miles north in my language.  
My sister claims she walked straight to Chicago once and it took her just under an hour. I never heard the end of it, nor do I want to. The rumor of the end of that story was that she really got into an accident with her bike down the I-41 interstate.  
She didn't make it under an hour. The ambulance did.  
I could not understand the book that much at all. I know I'm pretty o.k on the subject, but unless your brain starts daydreaming about how it wants to go back to sleep, then odds of understanding anything that is written down or trying to focus would be astronomical.  
Instead of astronomical, I could've easily used the term "Vegas-like."  
By the third hour, I was really shaky and very cold. I guess people don't realize that studying under the flu has dire consequences. So, like a normal person, I decided to go to bed.  
As I woke up around 3, I knew I had to study. A convention was on the line if I didn't study and my parents are really strict about it. How? Here's a good example:  
Suppose I study half time and I got a good grade - let's say a 90- and I got to go. Since I studied half the time, I would stay half the time. Instead of me going from 10 a.m to 8 p.m, it would be from 10 a.m to 3:30 p.m. So much for the free Trigun movie I was hoping for.  
And how do they know all of this? Simple: a camera stuck to both me and my sister's ceilings. Obviously we have different rooms but still. They know I'm sick so they know I can sleep it off. But if I slack off, then half time is half time.  
Jessie came back with some soup and instructions on to take the Danish medicine - A.K.A"freckle juice"- afterwards. The she took my text book and said to me, "Parents stepped out for some meeting so it's my job to ask you this: What is the formula for...uhhh...trying to pronounce it here...barium bromate dihydrate?"  
I coughed and said, "That would be -cough- Ba(BrO3)2·2H2O".  
After saying that, I collapsed in bed. I guess thinking hard has that effect on you when you have the flu.  
"Hey relax o.k?" said Jessie. "And you got that one right."  
I heard her step out of my room as I fell asleep. I was happy I got one thing right for a change. I wanted to have a dream where I would ask the chemical formulas to be nice to me for next week, but instead I had one where the Periodic Table was bullying little kids and I was getting blamed.  
Well, thats a dream wasted.

"Dang it Kathy, wake up!" yelled Jessie.  
I struggled to get up but it's pretty tough when you have a sister who's 3 years older than you and decides that its perfect to wake you up by trying to strangle you.  
"What? What's going on?" I said.  
"Its 9 o'clock. Basically means...YOUR LATE FOR SCHOOL!"  
"Seriously?"  
"Man you sleep like a log. I tried waking you up yesterday and the day before. When mom found out that you were still breathing, she just let you sleep."  
"You mean it's….Monday?!"  
"Yup. I'm more surprised you didn't pee in your pants the whole 40 hours knocked out."  
I ran to get myself changed to head to the Roycemore School; which is obviously next to my sister's college. It's not a bad institution if I do say so myself. Just the only thing kind of bothersome is that your sister has the nack to at least peek to see if you're doing a good job in class, if anything. Her own definition of babysitting, during school I may add. Good thing is, even though she starts class a bit later than I do, she'd take me there in her prized possession: the Kawasaki Vulcan Nomad motorcycle. She told our parents she won it on a state fair, but in reality and only she told me this, she stole it from her previous boyfriend after they broke up. To this day, I have no clue how she got by all of that security in his house: lasers, dogs, and of course...her boyfriend himself. Scary thing is, with Jessie being prone to accidents, I still don't know how she got by all of that security.  
Even scarier is that, with Jessie being prone to accidents, I really prayed to get to school on time.  
Blasting the song "Them Bones" by Alice in Chains, we rode through Chicago ave. which was the quickest way to the school. I really love my sister to death, and I love her more that, when she takes me out somewhere in her motorcycle, I'm glad to be alive, much less standing.  
"Hey, try not to get sick again. If anything happens, I'll probably be in the next building of course," said Jessie.  
"Sure thing," I said and she left.  
My first class was indeed Chemistry and I realized that I wasn't late. Jessie pulled the oldest trick in the book: she switched my clock and my watch -don't ask about the watch; I had it on even when I was asleep- 2 hours behind then was originally planned. Little by little, that love I had for my sister was starting to plummet.  
I saw one of my friends, Christopher, being surrounded by a bunch of students in the classroom. My best friend Rebecca came to me and gave me a hug.  
"Oh Kathy, the test is in 3 days. Are you sure you're ready for it?" she said to me.  
"Unless your ribbons in your hair have any other ideas, then yeah, I'm ready."  
"I tried to call you on Sunday to review with you some material, but you didn't answer your cell phone."  
I checked my cell phone. Dang, 8 missed calls.  
"I'm sorry Becky Becks. I was out...cold the whole day Sunday. You know Sunday kind of ruins my mood, so that's why I slept," I said.  
Still plummeting, little by little.  
"Well Chris is prepared. He called a tutor and is now starting to randomly say formulas by memory. He said he payed the tutor 60 bucks."  
"60 bucks? Geez, are you sure he didn't get any 'extra time"?  
"I dont know, but I'm sure of this, he's been bragging about her for some time claiming she's the best in Chemistry."  
Well, I hoped he would be right. After all, if whoever this secret tutor is that can help me, I can probably go to the convention. It does land on my birthday after all. But 60 bucks?  
I turned to Chris.  
"Hey hey, can I have that tutor's number?" I asked.  
"Hey hey, you got $60?"  
"Don't worry if I do or if I don't. Just give me the address or something o.k.?"  
"Your smart enough, you go figure it out."  
"Chris...I'm the only one with your secret knowledge of your past being called...Christine?"  
As I thought, he led me to a corner of the room and passed me a note.  
"Just go here when you have time. She's Japanese, but she knows English really well. She dresses really weird."  
"Well, is she good?"  
"Trust me when I say this; I don't think she met a science book she didn't like. There's like stacks of books all over the place."  
"But, is she good?"  
"She'll make these entire teachers quiver in fear. With her strategy, you won't fail."  
He looked as though he was glad he was giving me her info. I didn't care at all what he thought.  
He went to sit back down. I almost forgot to ask him about the real price the tutor offers, -since I'm not going to believe at all of that $60 scam- when Rebecca poked me from behind.  
"So, are you going to see this person?" she asked me.  
"Well, I'm not sure. I can ask my sister to take me there. Of course, that can be an obstacle in itself." I said in reply.  
It's really hard to hide anything from Jessie, even in a dark room with the whole room painted in black. I really don't know how her eyes became infra-red all of a sudden, but with her clumsiness, it's a plus in my book. So I knew I had to ask her before she played some sort of guessing game with me. She did bet money on those guessing games; which is why she would earn $100 a week mostly. If you wanted to play guessing games with Jessie, be prepared to lose everything.  
Then I realized I haven't used the restroom in almost a day. As soon as class was starting, I ran out the door and into the little cubicle seat in the restroom. As I finished, I took the little note that Chris gave me that featured, hopefully, her cell number and her address. I was about to text her when I realized that I didn't even know her name. Good job Chris, I thought. I didn't even get the important part of the info.  
So I texted her the following:  
_"My name is Katherine and I need Chemistry help. Are you available around 2?"_  
The moment I stepped out of the restroom, she immediately texted me back with a reply:  
_"Sure. Just don't be late. I assume you got my address from another one of your annoying classmates?"_  
Annoying? Guess I was right about Chris then.  
I made my way back to class, which very slowly I looked at the note of her address. It was in Sheridan Park which, unless I wasn't mistaken for my Google map skills, was south, on the north part of Chicago. Instead of 10 blocks, now it was 9 blocks south.  
Rebecca, who of course sat next to me said, "Gee that's pretty far. Are you sure you're going to make it?"  
"Like I said Becky, yes I will. And in case you're thinking of any ideas, I'm going there myself. Don't worry, I'll tell you how it went."  
I just hope I can convince my sister to take me there. And I hoped to be alive for the next morning.

"You must be out of your damn mind. There is no, and I mean no freaking way I'm doing it...excuse me a sec."  
Jessie turned from her friends to me. "Hey sis. What can I help you with?"  
"Umm, I was wondering if you can take me here," I said and I showed her the address. She stared at it in a way as though the note was on fire. "It's for a Chemistry tutor."  
"On the other side of town? said Jessie."  
"Yes, on the other side of town. She's probably the best."  
"Uh huh. And how much is it?"  
"Huh? Oh I mean, I'm not sure."  
"Really? You're not sure? Well you better come up with an estimate quick, or it'll be your ass on that Chemistry platter."  
"O.k. O.k. I'll ask her."  
I texted her; which I got a reply 20 seconds later.  
"She says its $40."  
Jessie took out her wallet -which she stole from her boyfriend as well after the breakup- and gave me $40.  
"So when do I have to pay you back?" I said.  
"Probably when this tutor is worth a good grade," she said.  
"Gee, you sound like mom."  
"You know, that's the scary thing. So when are we going?"  
"How about right now?"  
"Right now?"  
"Yeah"  
"Right now? As in right now this very moment?"  
"Yeah"  
"You know I got class in an hour right?"  
"Well, you better step on it. She doesn't want me to be late."  
"Easy for her to say."  
"Also, can you make an alibi to mom and dad? Say that I was studying at the school library after hours or something."  
"No problem."  
So we got on her motorcycle and me getting scared again, we blasted through the I- 41 interstate highway with 80 mph speeds. I didn't even bother getting the chance to tell Jessie about the random wake up debacle. The fresh air behind your accident prone big sister just removes all got to the tutor's apartment in around 25 minutes.  
"Hey text me when you're done alright?" said Jessie.  
"Sure thing" I said as I walked up the stairs to the apartment door.  
It wasn't a bad place. Still, it puzzles me that someone superior in the world of science would be living in a place like this. I also noticed, as I was walking up the stairs that it was sparkly clean. Even more amazing is that it was strangely quiet in the whole there was crime and such, but I didn't realize that it finally took some sort of effort to clean the place up recently. A fire or two wouldn't be so bad unless you've seen the place I have seen recently. Broken glass, houses burned on the inside, babies in garbage cans. Now that is a bad area.  
The tutor's apartment was in the 3rd floor and it didn't take a super sleuth to figure out her door. There was a big blow up poster of a light brown-haired girl trying to catch a butterfly. It was a real picture, not one of those fake pictures you see when you buy a picture frame. I didn't know whether to knock or something because, if this poster was any indication, she might as well be a hippie. I really hoped I was wrong.I put my hand up to knock when the door opened by itself. No breeze or anything.  
Hippie factor when up by 5%. I frowned.  
As I looked around, I heard a noise of scrubbing to my right. I called out to whoever was there, "Hello?"  
The person replied, "Hello. Sit on the couch and don't touch anything."  
"O.k. Got it."  
The living room didn't seem that rich as I had hoped. There were two doors to my left: probably the bathroom and some other room. The door on my right was locked with a big lock with a "Do Not Go Near" sign. It was probably her room with experiments or stolen gold.  
The kitchen was right with the living room. She had a LG fridge, and a medium sized t.v. There was a glass table overseeing the balcony of the view outside with a big flower, which was the same flower I saw at the poster on the doorway. Probably her when she was younger. I smiled.  
The floor looked as though it was waxed thoroughly and well. The rest of the house was completely spotless. It smelled like raspberries with a little scent of cherry. If she went all of this way just to provide me with a nice invitation, then this was worth it. Of course there was the stack of science textbooks next to the t.v., which was randomly turned off. No Biology books? I guess she wasn't as smart as I'd hoped. As I looked at the ceiling however, there was a camera staring right back at me.  
So much for that warm welcome.  
I heard a flush of a toilet and the tutor came out.  
Chris said she dressed weird and she would make teachers freak out. He was right on both accounts.  
White, grayish, silver hair with a white Lolita dress, black lace lining which looked like a skull and crossbones design on the back -as she walked by to the kitchen, I had a good view of it-, blue eyes, moon earrings, white fingernails and schoolgirl shoes; although she looked nothing like a schoolgirl.  
By her appearance alone, no one in their right mind would suspect her of being knowledgeable of Chemistry and Physics. I guess she owns the stats on weirdness. Fashion police, if you're listening, I found a really good person to take into custody.  
She offered me a hand.  
"Hello. My name is Muchiko. It's English for 'whip' and to answer your first question no, this is not a wig. I dyed it permanently whitish gray since I was 5. And that was no accident."  
Well I knew for a fact that wasn't my first question.  
"I'm Katherine. Nice to meet you," I said.  
Muchiko shook my hand. "Would you like some water? It'll help you think."  
"I thought pancakes helped you think," I said.  
"Yes well, that's some silly detective rumor. I tested it, and it's not true."  
She gave me a water bottle. Something told me that if I asked her about the locked up room, she'll probably go ballistic on me. This was probably some nice ruse she puts on while entertaining guests. Lying calm, I decided to keep an eye on her to see what she would do next.  
"So," she said. "I hear from your annoying classmate that you have an exam coming up?"  
"Wait a sec. How did you figure out that Chris and I were at least in the same school?" I said surprised.  
"You smell like him."  
There's that weirdness in full swing.  
"I know that because I just came out of school."  
"Right. I see."  
Muchiko looked at me and my book bag and frowned. "Another one," she muttered under her breath.  
"Huh?"  
"Nothing, I'm sorry." She went to the glass table, picked up something and came back. She showed me a stopwatch.  
"Take out whatever material you need for this tutoring session and show me what you need help on. I'll see how long it takes you to find it," said Muchiko.  
She pushed a red button and folded her arms. I looked at her for three seconds before I realized that she wasn't joking. I felt as though if I didn't do what she said, she was going to either put a knife in my eye, or probably pour acid down my pants. Both are worse, but I can guess the former is much worse.  
I took everything out and I showed her the page of the periodic table.  
"Here, here", I pointed.  
She stopped the watch. "7 seconds. Average I suppose."  
"Huh? And what was that for?" I said.  
"If you come to class for example, and you wait until the teacher shows up for you to gather your things for the start of class, then the teacher will see you as a much ridiculed student who is not prepared to learn and a waste of their time," she explained.  
Boy, she's good. A bit of an attitude problem but she's good. Probably reminds me of some maid therapist.  
"Uhh, sure. Let's get started then shall we?" I said.  
As I was about to turn the page on my textbook, Muchiko stopped my hand. "To what celebratory arrangement have you made plans for if you pass this exam?"  
It took me a while to translate what she just said in my head to normal English. "Ummm, well if you put it that way, I guess going to a convention in two weeks would be my celebration, but I need a cosplay outfit," I said.  
"Oh that I can assist you with; well not me, my sister."  
"Umm o.k. Can I ask you a question?"  
"Sure."  
"What happened when Chris was here? He didn't seem too happy. He said you were the best."  
"Yes I am the best. Unfortunately that little pervert thought he could get more than just studying."  
"Oh boy. Sounds like a bad scripted soap opera. So what happened?"  
I was scared to even picture these two together in the same room. It was too late to take back my question now. Damn.  
"He arrived and tried to break into my room. It took him 15 seconds to take out his books and he asked me too many personal questions. I gave him mostly wrong answers. I still don't know how he even found my ad in a magazine. Then after the session, he tried to grope me."  
"What did you do?"  
"Check his wrist next time when you see him. That big gash is mine."  
"Oh...well awesome. Wait, when you asked him of that celebration thingy, what did he say?"  
Muchiko spit on the floor. "For my parents' he said. I asked him if it was for a personal goal. He just said no. Young fool."  
"Hey don't call him a fool. It would be an insult to fools everywhere."  
"I guess you're right."  
"So I would like to get started please?"  
"Hold on a sec."  
She was really driving my patience in record time. Muchiko took out something from under her dress. It was a white utility belt. From the right side of it, she took out a test tube that smelled like hair gel. Very frankly, she poured it on my hair.  
"Hey what's this for?" I said.  
"We're going to my parents' house for help on your cosplay outfit. From the drive on, I'll tutor you while we're on the road."  
First the dress, the weird look, the utility belt, and now tutoring while driving? Who in the world am I dealing with here?  
Muchiko went inside the locked room of hers and came back 3 minutes later. If her dress and looks were an indication of how her room looked, I dare not even she came back out, I asked, "Umm, why is there a camera there and why was your door left open?"  
Muchiko smiled, "I knew you were coming so thats why I left it programmed to be open. My aunt designed that part of the living room in case a robber came and stuff. If they did...then they are in for a world of hurt."  
"Ouch"  
"Oh they wouldnt say ouch."  
"And your utility belt?"  
"Chemistry stuff. Compounds, acids, poison bases, Tungsten knives, and nitrogen oxide. I really adore my belt."  
"Tungsten? I thought Titanium was the strongest metal around."  
"Well, that's what you get for watching the news so much."  
I was talking to her for a while when I realized that I forgot to mention about the gel in my hair.  
"What exactly did you shampoo me with?" I said.  
"Mostly herbs, oranges and a healthy dose of oxygen to help your mind think. I wanted your hair to make you smell nice."  
"You mean 'cause I smell like Chris?"  
"Exactly. I don't want you smelling like a pervert."  
I tried my best not to laugh. Muchiko sprayed on some sort of perfume that made her smell like bananas. As we were stepping out, she took out something from her pocket. A dress that has pockets? How awesome. She has to be a world class designer.  
It was a small keyboard no bigger than a calculator. She placed it in the door knob, punched in some numbers and removed it. A click followed telling us that the door was locked.  
"No keys?" I said.  
"It'll puncture my rib cage. Plus, the small sized calculator goes great with locking things," she replied.  
A no key girl. Very interesting. There was one thing I had to ask though.  
"Why did you make a utility belt with chemistry objects? Aren't you afraid something will break?" I said.  
"Very strong leather. Something to keep me occupied while I walk around. I also carry candy here." she replied.  
There's my answer. Her very own little candy shop.  
We walked to her car. A blue Jeep Cherokee Laredo. Thank goodness for something with a different color scheme. As we stepped in, the inside was white. I just had to open my big brain of thought on that one. I still haven't figured out the part of tutoring and driving at the same time.  
"Oh, I forgot. If we're going to your house, and if you're dropping me off my house, I have to text my sister to cancel her pick up," I said.  
Muchiko looked at me curiously.  
"Whats your sister's name?"  
"Huh? Why what is it?"  
"Something about you looks really familiar."  
"Its Jessica. Jessica McAndrews."  
"Did she steal a bike from some guy named David?"  
"Yeah. Her past boyfriend."  
"I knew it. You have her exact eyes."  
"Yes that's true. So how do you know her?"  
"Well….David came complaining to me that his ex-girlfriend stole his bike under all of that security in his house. I laughed and told him 'well that's what you deserved' and shoved him out of my apartment. Your sister's got guts."  
"Gee, thanks for the insight."  
"Promise me that you'll take me to see her. I have to give her my thanks."  
"No problem."  
I texted Jessie: _"I'm going to the tutor's house. She'll drop me off at my house when we're done. Claims that her house was...really uncomfortable."_  
She texted back in reply: _"Are you insane? You cannot go to a stranger's house."_  
"Oh great. She thinks I'm crazy." I said.  
"Call her and give me the phone," said Muchiko.  
"What? You can't talk and drive?"  
"Just watch me."  
Muchiko took out a one piece headphone and connected to the phone with one hand while her other hand was on the steering wheel. I dialed the number but she snatched my phone and began to talk. Talk about rude.  
"Are you Jessie?" said Muchiko.  
"Yeah who's this?" Jessie asked.  
"I heard about your little fight with David a couple of years ago. Nice job. He showed up in my house and came crying to me for help, but I laughed and kicked him out."  
"Wait a sec. I did hear that he tried to ask for help, I didn't know it was from you."  
"Well anyway, I'm going to charge your sister nothing for the session. She really reminds me of you somewhat...just without the clumsiness."  
"How did you know about that? It's supposed to be a secret."  
"From David. Listen, I'll bring her back safe and sound."  
"How about bringing her back alive?"  
"Thats what I meant, only I said it in a third grade level."  
"Fair enough," she said and hung up.  
Muchiko looked at me proudly. "You see, I talked on the phone and I'm not arrested."  
"And how old are you?"  
"I'm 20."  
"Oh o.k. At least that won't get me worried."  
We drove up to a well fortified house in Lincoln Park overlooking the lake. I got to admit, from the view of her parents' house, she actually got it made. The obvious thought that I had in my mind during the drive over was why she would move from a spectacular view of the lake to a view of a pizza shop. Also there was no tutoring involved. What was she playing at? I had to admit just by looking at the area; she made a very bad decision moving out.  
We stopped the car in front of the house. I was about to get out when Muchiko pulled me back to my seat.  
"Listen very closely. I'll make this short," she said with a serious look on her face. That look scared me.  
"Well alright."  
"My dad hates me and so does my sister. They know I dress like this, so don't tell them it's a new fad. They don't like me being in the house. Only my mom appreciates my presence. Also, do NOT say anything about my utility belt or anything else of that matter about my apartment. They already think I'm weird, so I don't want that extra reason for them not to like me."  
"Why?" I said.  
"Extremely personal. Only my family knows."  
"Uhhh, does it bother you?"  
"No, but it certainly bothers them. Just don't mention it, o.k.?"  
"O.k."  
We went to the front door. Muchiko took a lockpick from the back of her hair and lock-picked the door. Man, how does everyone know how to do that?  
As we entered, I didn't have enough time for the tour of the house but the living room was the first room I saw. It was really classy and by the looks of it, I guessed the price of the living room was in total around $500. To the left of the living room was the sounding of someone cooking in the kitchen, but we didn't even bother going in to taste the food. I was really hungry. Instead we went upstairs to a room where there was loud music playing and a door with a sign that said, "All Normal Humans Are Welcome." Before I could even ask, Muchiko knocked on the door.  
"Hey Harumi it's me. Open up," said Muchiko.  
A voice from the other side said, "Screw you weirdo!"  
The door was locked. Muchiko took what looked like clay in her pocket and stuffed it in the doorknob. Then she took a wire and connected it to the clay.  
I've seen a bunch of movies to know what that piece of clay was; mostly movies from Jessie's personal collection of action movies. That clay was C4. How she got her hands on it, I have no idea, but I can tell she comes prepared for anything. And I mean anything. Even for a UFO attack if need be.  
Without hesitation, I dived to where Muchiko was as she pushed a button. There was a small sounding boom as the doorknob crashed to the wall. I guess her parents' cooking was loud enough to drown out the sound of a C4 blast; as hard as that was to believe. Muchiko opened the door.  
"Hey, how did you open that?" said the formentioned Harumi. She was as tomboyish as I ever seen: baseball cap, guitar player, an almost cleavage t-shirt and sneakers. I have no idea how these japanese girls learned to dress, but little by little, I was really starting to enjoy it. I looked around her room, and it was exactly the same as my room. The same place where the bed, window, computer, and closet the same identical positions and not to mention the same size. How the heck did she get that information?  
"And who is this?" said Harumi in clear English. By the way she stared at Muchiko, it looked like their history of hatred was much more than a sisterly rivalry. Her eyes were the scariest part of all. The confusing thing was that they spoke English right in front of me. I guess they wanted me to understand what they were saying and not hide any information from me. How nice.  
"My friend needs some cosplay help. I figure that you have something of that matter," said Muchiko.  
"Your friend? You hate almost everyone."  
"Just shut it. You have something or not?"  
"Yeah I do. For the Anime Central convention right? Lucky for you I collect them."  
She collects cosplay? That got me really jealous. Harumi rubbed my hair. "And who would you like to be little girl?"  
She was indeed tall for a 23 year old. Her hand wasn't covered in the hair gel that Muchiko poured on me earlier. Probably dried off.  
"First I would like to know: how did you come up with the same design as my room?"  
Harumi tapped my forehead. "Are you going to ask questions? Then there is no cosplay outfit for you."  
"Fine," I said, feeling defeated. "I want to cosplay Sakura from Naruto."  
Harumi laughed. "Naruto is so overplayed and over-used. I still remember one time this girl named Christine dressed up as Naruto from Naruto Shippuden 2 years ago."  
"Yeah I remember her," I said. "She looked o.k."  
"Well, some of my...never mind."  
"Well what?"  
"You're too young to know."  
Muchiko flinched at the sound of the word Christine. I didn't know why, but when I looked at her, she shook her head slowly, shrugging it off. Harumi went to her closet and picked out an Oran Host Club outfit.  
"Here. You can be Haruhi. You are clearly both the same size," said Harumi.  
"Gee thanks," I said, pretending to be cheerful.  
Muchiko took a half second look at Harumi's computer screen, before looking at me and then at Harumi while saying to her: "Well I guess we better be going now. Thank you."  
She offered her hand. Harumi spat at it, grabbed her by the collar and said, "You got three seconds before Dad finds you here."  
I couldn't stand it anymore. I really didn't care at all that Muchiko was weird; her sister clearly showed me that she never learned any manners. I punched Harumi in the eye, took Muchiko by the arm as we ran outside to the car. She drove, while we heard Harumi yell through the night: "YOU OWE ME A NEW DOOR KNOB!"

As she drove near my house, Muchiko looked exhausted.  
"Look I'm really sorry about all of this drama," she said.  
"Oh it's no problem."  
Then I realized something. Whatever she put on my hair, kind of got the job done as far as studying was concerned. She claims that it was herbs, but I'll bet she added some..."Chemistry magic" in there. I felt really awake, and I had a photographic memory of my whole textbook and some of the notes. Hippie percentage was up 90%.  
"Uhh, thanks for the studying I guess," I said to her.  
She smiled. "You're welcome. Hey call me and let me know how the exam went."  
"Of course."  
Muchiko got out the car and looked at me square in the face. It wasn't scary as the way Harumi stared at me earlier, but I can see how they are actually sisters. Sharing the same look was good enough to qualify.  
"Listen. I obviously do thank you for that punch you gave my sister, but please let me know if you're going to do something extreme like that again," she said.  
"Why? You're in danger, and I wanted to help. I always help out a friend. Of course, you did help me out in getting a cosplay outfit for me. That is, if I do really well on this chemistry test."  
"Hey, you got help from me remember? I know you'll do well."  
"I know. Just worried about a lot is all."  
"Worried about what?"  
"Well, what if your sister comes bashing through or something or tries to hurt me? She's really scary."  
"Which is why I moved out."  
"And started your own tutoring job?"  
"Yeah."  
"And because of your success, you got all of those chemistry textbooks and stuff?"  
"Yeah that too."  
"Hey, you should join me at the convention. My friend Rebecca is going and she really wants to meet you."  
"Sorry, conventions do not interest me. It's your prize, you should enjoy yourself."  
"C'mon. It falls the same day as my birthday."  
"Really?"  
"And who knows? That creepy sister of yours might show up as well. I may need some protection from you."  
Muchiko gave it some considering thought.  
"No no. It's fine. I'll be sure to send you something for your birthday," said Muchiko.  
I frowned. Muchiko looked at me with a small smile.  
"Hey hey chin up. How about we do something after the convention o.k.?" she said.  
"You sure?" I said with a brightly covered smile.  
"Yeah. So is that a plan then?"  
"Sure."  
"Well then, see you."  
"Wait, before you go."  
"Yeah?"  
"The poster...and the flower..."  
"My sister...before she turned into a ravenous jerk."  
"Oh o.k."  
"And don't tell anyone or your sister about my...belt hobbies."  
"No problem. Bye."  
I let off a very deep she drove off. I went back to the house with renewed feelings on my head. I knew almost everything I needed for the test. Guess that showed how gothic/hippie she really was.  
Jessie waited for me in my room.  
"You know you have your own room to sleep in right?" I said.  
"Relax. So, how did it go? I kept thinking of you and was starting to get scared."  
"You got a building permit, 'cause I know I'm going to nail it!"  
"Sounded corny enough but whatever."  
"Did the alibi work?"  
"Like a charm. All we need to see is how you go about your business in two days from now."  
She rubbed my head and went to her room; which afterwards I heard a slipping noise and something falling on the ground hard. Adding that noise was a small voice of a whisper, "I'm o.k. Just bruised my chin."  
I threw myself down in my bed thinking of Muchiko, and Harumi. I already figured out that Harumi doesn't like Muchiko very much and as far as I can tell, it wasn't either from science or her dress. I remembered seeing a Physics textbook, Chemistry -which took mostly the whole shelf-, Astronomy, and even an Earth Science book in her room, but there was nothing regarding Biology. Of course there was the poster in her front door. She cares about her sister so much, she even kept her favorite flower in her living room. The confusing part for me was how Harumi's room looked exactly like mine. How did Muchiko get all that much of an arsenal of chemistry stuff on her utility belt? And how in the world did she get a hold of Tungsten and C4 clay?  
With every thought came a whole set of crazy new questions. And woe is me that I'm now involved with a Lolita girl who's your everyday James Bond with her weird gadgets and her  
tomboyish sister.  
I got all of the chemistry stuff wrapped up and needed for the test all in my head. As I struggled to sleep with all of this new info, something tells me I'm in for one world of a roller coaster ride. Oh well. At least I dont have to wait in line.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The day before the test, I did not speak to anyone: either on the phone or online. I was in full chemistry mode; although I hate it with a passion. I still remembered a certain Goth girl I met yesterday who made it cool; even if it was with gadgets. I did eat somewhat, but now I wasn't that hungry. I threw the cosplay outfit that Harumi gave me in the closet when Jessie came in. I never liked the anime "Host Club", and I figured that the collar would probably choke me to death. Also, that wasn't the anime that I had planned to cosplay with Rebecca and Chris.  
"Oh, I thought you weren't in here," she said.  
"As you can see, I am," I said.  
"That girl from yesterday: she drives a Jeep Cherokee? That is so not fair. Is she rich or something?"  
"No, no. She's just been saving up...from all of that tutoring stuff."  
"I see. I really didn't know she was the one who shoved my ex boyfriend out of her apartment. David is kind of strong you know."  
"You told me that eight times already."  
"Anyway, I got you something."  
Jessie left the room and then came back ten seconds later with...a punching bag? Only my sister would come up with something this crazy for me as a gift.  
"You're kidding me right? I'm training for a test, not the golden gloves," I said, very surprised.  
"Relax. I know that. This will help you with speed and to think on your feet to make an accurate guess if you don't know the answer."  
"Well, that's what Muchiko taught me."  
"Who?"  
"The tutor."  
"Oh. For a minute there, I thought it sounded like you said 'rice flour'."  
"That wasn't even close to calling her rice flour."  
"Well anyway. I never said once that this punching bag was for the test."  
"Yes you did. You just mentioned that it was for help on guessing an answer."  
"Well for the most part. I'm training you to fight."  
"Why?"  
"Well, in case you pass your test and a group of kids want to kick your ass for getting the highest grade, then you can shake them off."  
"Thanks, but I can run really fast. I did star in track you know."  
"I know, but you will kick ass right?"  
"If anyone tries to kill me, I'm sure it will come in handy."  
I already knew that this conversation was dragging along like our usual conversations we always had, but of course in the back of my mind, I knew Jessie meant well for me and my safety. Plus she already had plans to take over the house for a party while I was away at the convention on the weekend. If I failed, I know for a fact that she'd let me have it. Believe me, I don't like it when Jessie of all people would let me have it.  
"Thanks Jess. I'll take it from here," I said.  
"Good girl," she said.  
"Your welcome, I guess."  
I shoved the punching bag into my closet without paying much attention until I noticed a little tear inside. Knowing Jessie, she would never give me something worn out, unless it was a joke. I took out an old pocket knife I had next to my computer that Jessie gave me. After slashing the bag and discovering what was inside, all of that hatred I had about my sister yesterday about waking me up early went out the window.  
It was a Sakura Haruno cosplay outfit, just like what I wanted. I ran to my sister's room where she was on the phone. I didn't care if I interrupted her conversation, I was too happy to get beaten up. I tackled her in her own bed.  
"THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" I said. "But how did you afford it?"  
She hung up the phone. "It's an early birthday gift. And please don't yell so loudly."  
"You sure it wasn't that expensive for you?"  
"Trust me it was alright. It's something to inspire you to do well on that test."  
I hugged her again and ran back to my room. I called Rebecca to tell her that I finally got the Sakura outfit that I wanted.  
"Awesome!" she said. "Now I can be Ino just like we planned two years ago."  
"I know. We can finally cosplay together."  
"I'm sorry we couldn't last year. I felt really sick."  
"Hey don't worry about it. At least you feel o.k. this year."  
"So tell me. What was it that the tutor taught you?"  
That was a hard question to answer. Of course Muchiko didn't teach me anything, but in reality she showed me a couple of neat things: more importantly, oily substances are really useful for studying exams. I did promise Muchiko secrecy, but Rebecca was my best friend for the past ten years. So of course, to get myself out of this pickle, I had to think of something.  
"Well, she just told me a good strategy of what to use during the exam," I blurted without thinking.  
"Which was?"  
Now I had time to think. "Use...use music as a good studying technique."  
"Huh?"  
"You know, as lyrics."  
That was something I used when I was little.  
"Okay sure, I'll try that I guess," she said to me.  
I hung up. Then immediately, I got a call from Muchiko. At least she was patient enough to wait until I finished talking on the phone to call me. That was very accurate.  
"Hey," I said.  
"So, are you ready?"  
"Yeah of course, thanks to you teaching me absolutely nothing."  
"Relax relax. You'll be fine. I'm sure of it."  
"How is that possible? I haven't learned anything from our session except how to get a sibling of yours angry."  
"That was your fault."  
"Well she provoked me."  
"Listen, just relax. Oh and I forgot to ask you something. Umm what was it...oh. How far is it from your school from your house?"  
"Umm, it's kind of far. Why?"  
"Well, wake up early first off. Then drink some water but hold it in your mouth. Then jog to school."  
"Huh? That sounds crazy."  
"Hey, some exercise before an exam couldn't hurt."  
"You saying I need to lose weight?"  
"No. It's something to warm up the senses. Understand?"  
"Yup. Loud and clear."  
She hung up. I took a deep breath and just shook my head. I'll admit that she's good company, but of course really crazy; she really needs to get herself checkout somewhere. She does have a bit of a point though: I am in due need of an exercise. Not that it mattered; I really looked fine by my view. I checked my mirror just in case something actually didn't seem right. Everything looked fine and normal, so I didn't know what she was talking about.  
I began to study a bit more as I went to the front lawn to do some pushups. My body felt really stiff as I stepped outside. I guess Muchiko was right on that part. I don't know how she saw the stiffness of my body, but I guess I owe her on that one. It still bothered me as to how Muchiko called me just to insult me. I got to remind myself that she really needed a smack upside her head.  
Jessie came outside five minutes later, and stared at me. I stopped to look at her. It wasn't a distraction for me; it was someone I love but I knew many people who would consider their older sibling a distraction. That was their opinion. She motioned me to keep going. As I did, I felt her place something really icy on my back. I tried to pick myself up but it was like the force of a hammer pushing me down. I never tried doing any type of exercises with something cold and icy on my body. Sure it will help, but it was really uncomfortable.  
"Keep going and don't even bother spilling that water," said Jessie.  
"But it's so cold," I protested.  
"You're the one that decided to randomly start doing exercises outside, so I figured I might as well help you out."  
So, with the cup of icy water on my back, I continued. It lasted for two hours as I felt the cold rush through my body. I stuttered when I stopped on the first hour. I gave the cup back to Jessie, hoping that she would go back inside while she gave me time to myself for a much needed rest. She stopped and stared at me. I waved to her that I didn't want to do anymore, but I laid down on the grass doing sit-ups with the ice cold water on my stomach. Jessie this time, actually helped set the cup steady on my stomach as I did the exercises for another hour. Once I knew I was done, I ran inside and got in the shower before Jessie could do any more damage to my already fragile body. The arm water eased the pain on my back as I decided unanimously to at least stay in the shower for as long as I could. At least it was a perfect place to think about what I was ready to endure with on the test. I sat on the bathtub thinking of some questions that I couldn't get the answer to off the top of my head. It was no use. Muchiko didn't do anything resourceful.  
At nine in the evening, I told my sister that I was going to jog to school and for her to wake me up early. I thought against the jog to my school, but realized that Muchiko at least gave me some sort of help through my way of getting through with this test. At least she tries to be helpful, so there's no blame there. Jessie looked at me as though I was crazy, but then nodded her approval and gave me a hug as I went to my room for some really well deserved sleep. I know that my sister is one of those types that really doesn't want to let me go, but I'm also scared that, because of her accident prone skills, I'll stay on one of her hugs and not be alive the next morning.  
Jessie's a doll...and I'll always love her for that.  
I woke up pretty refreshed after what Jessie put me through yesterday. My back didn't ache, but thinking of that moment really got me scarred. I shook it off and realized a split second later that Jessie didn't wake me up; the alarm did. That didn't get me pissed off but if the alarm wanted to be my new older sister, then by all means.  
I got breakfast done all by myself in the kitchen. Jessie was still in her room; proof of that was music coming from her door that was at full blast. I'm so glad we didn't sleep in the same room. Too much of a heart attack.  
I got the water and looked at it. I was already dressed and all I needed to do was get my book bag from my room. I left the cup there, ran to my room, heard the shower on, got my book bag, and ran downstairs. I took one full cup amount, held it there, took a breath through my nose, and started off jogging.  
Well it was comfortable for the first three miles, then afterwards, I began to become out of breath. Usually I do breathe out of my nose when I jog or run, but the water turned out to become a distraction. I tried my best not to swallow it, but the temptation turned out to be too great. I started to slow down. The school was on my horizon. I actually felt the water start to evaporate under my warm breath. Taking another deep breath through my nose and noticing that I was going to collapse from the exhaustion if I stood next to the lamppost too long, I began to start again.  
I saw the worried look of Rebecca up ahead. The one face I can look upon no matter how tired or how much blood I lose -one day-; it's the one face where I could be sure that everything will be okay. I just had to reach that face very quickly. She's the one who's always in school before me. I'll take that sometimes: she's the one who usually buys me Twinkies beforehand. "I'm out of breath, but I made it," I said to Rebecca as I swallowed the water in my mouth. It was tiring, but I actually got through with it. I have to remind myself to send Muchiko a "thank-you" card.  
"Okay. What was that all about?" she asked.  
"Just something I wanted to try. By the way, have you seen Chris?" I asked. "I have to ask him something."  
"He's not here yet."  
"But he's always the first one here."  
It was strange. As much as I didn't like Chris and as unfortunate as I was to have him as our cosplay buddy, he was always the first person to show up in school. He always believed that having an advantage over the teachers as to who got in the school first would be a big boost to your intelligence. Trust me, if I hear him say anything weird like that to me, I'll be the first one to send him to a mental hospital.  
We went inside to take the exam and there was still no sign of Chris. I didn't care about him; the exam was my main concern. Still, I couldn't help but notice that someone who claims to be really prepared wouldn't show up at all. I had everything memorized from my textbooks and my notes. Whatever the gray witch did, it certainly worked. I just hope no one searched through my brain to see if I was cheating. I looked over at the corner of my eye. Rebecca looked calmer than usual on taking the exam than I originally would have thought. That's always a good sign. The last thing I needed was my best friend to have a huge heart attack.  
As school was over, I turned to Rebecca as we were outside the steps of the school.  
"We get the results next week right? Now it would be determined if I go to the convention or not with you," I said.  
"I hope you do. We really have to cosplay together," she said.  
"Where would Chris be?"  
"Why? Are you that worried about him?"  
"No. I was just-"  
As on cue, a trail of ambulances and police cars passed by us at high speeds. Damn, what now?  
"You don't think something happened?" I said, sounding frightened. The only reason that ambulances would join up with police cars is that something really bad happened.  
"Well, maybe not. But I am afraid because they are heading towards Chris's street. Maybe a fire."  
"I think it could be something worse."  
"So what, you want to try and find out to see if it leads us to Chris."  
"If not, then we're short one member of our cosplay group."  
That sentence made Rebecca feel in shock. The last thing she needed was to be one person short of a cosplay group. She was really into getting this perfectly organized. "Hurry and find your sister."  
"And if she isn't available?"  
"Then we follow the ambulance trail."  
"Are you crazy?"  
"No I'm not Kathy. But it'll give us something to do instead of us standing here like lawn furniture."  
"Good point. You remembered where he lives right?"  
"Unfortunately yes, since we did used to date."  
They dated for only a year and I really didn't mind them together since Chris was really romantic towards her. As long as someone took care of Rebecca while I wasn't there and without hurting her, then that was fine by me. She took the same oath with me; if only I had a boyfriend. The lowering rank of them being friends…well we'll save that for another story.  
So we split up. I snuck inside the college but was stopped immediately by security. I knew I was never good at covert missions. It was never my forte. I went back to Rebecca.  
"No good. I couldn't find her," I said. "What about you?"  
"Nothing on my end either."  
"We got to do this ourselves."  
"Okay. We got to steal some bikes."  
Never in my life knowing Rebecca all these years would she say something crazy like that.  
"Are you insane?"  
"Of course not. C'mon, I got a chain clipper."  
"When did you have a chain clipper in her bookbag?"  
"I always liked riding bikes. Also, it's something just in case of an emergency for situations like this"  
"Since when?"  
"For about three years."  
"And you didn't tell me this why?"  
"Well, I didn't want you to judge me."  
Wonderful. I guess I didn't know her very well as I originally thought. "I wouldn't do anything like that to you. Relax alright?"  
"Well fine."  
So we got some bikes out of a bike stand just two blocks from the school. As luck would have it, I found one that was entirely my size. Oh joy. We sped past some cars and a police car until we reached a house about four miles from the school. Since we stole the bikes, we couldn't let the police catch a glimpse of us. So we had to sneak in the house somehow, with the house completely surrounded. If Jessie was here, she would have me pay fifty dollars to do something like this with her, but miraculously, she would actually get it done all by herself. Rebecca looked around, as we were posted behind a car.  
"What in the world is going on here?" said Rebecca.  
"I don't have a clue Rebecca. You think he was robbed?"  
"Oh sure, blame it always on a robbery."  
"Hey relax alright? I'm just saying that it could be, but of course it isn't a possibility."  
"So why are they all here?"  
"You don't suppose that..."  
After hearing that trail of words I left behind, Rebecca pulled me as we ran inside the house and crashed inside the window. Of course, the police and other officials all swarmed in after us but we were quick running up the stairs. We're two teen girls and we both have stairs in our houses. That proved to be a huge advantage for us. As far as I know, I didn't think Rebecca would take extreme measures to get inside the house. Of course there was also the added bonus of her "ex-boyfriend/cosplayer that we needed to complete the group" inside, so I understood her worry. I however, would just knock on the door or at least ask the police of any information. That's my polite way no matter what the situation was.  
We ran upstairs, and pushed over investigators -Rebecca not me- until we saw what we feared.  
Chris hanging on the ceiling...and it looked as though he was...pains me to say it...crucified.  
Rebecca screamed and looked as though she was going to cry. I couldn't blame her for that emotional outburst. His shirt was ripped and blood was coming out of his hands and feet. There was no crown of thorns, so I guess it wasn't in the sick sense of tradition. Rebecca began to tear up so much that I held her really close. Ex-boyfriend or not, she couldn't stand anyone getting hurt like this. It showed me that she still cared about him a lot. I saw the gash in his arm which I hoped, didn't hint me on the person who did it. We went back outside, with much grief in our hearts, avoided the investigators who tried to question us, took our stolen bikes and went to an ice cream parlor. Thank goodness we weren't being followed. I didn't need to add to the stress that was already inside my brain after what I just witnessed. I chose an ice cream parlor since ice cream always made Rebecca happy; so it was a good option for us to relax here. After about five minutes of just staring at our ice creams, it was Rebecca who spoke first.  
"So, did we see what I think we saw?" she said to me, still visibly shaken.  
"Hey keep your voice down. I don't want anyone to suspect us."  
"Sorry."  
Her face was red from the tears as she couldn't even eat her ice cream. I couldn't speak in the midst of still being in shock. Annoying or not, Chris was still a friend to both of us and this was starting to be a whole lot like a mystery. I was too angry to talk, but mostly I was suspecting someone I knew who I vaguely trusted, which in reality scares me. I called Muchiko on my phone. As always, she answered me right away. I tried my best not to jump to conclusions, but it was hard with every second racing through my head trying to hold it in.  
"Hello?" she said.  
"Hey did you hear what happened to Chris?"  
"I heard. I'm investigating it right now. I'm sorry about it."  
"Investigating?"  
"Yes. That's what I'm doing."  
Now I knew this was too weird.  
"I'll stop by o.k.?"  
"Well o.k."  
I hung up the phone and ran off.  
"Hey, where are you going?" said Rebecca.  
I left a twenty dollar bill from the forty that Jessie gave me from the tutoring session.  
"Keep the change. I got an emergency to attend to," I said.  
"Hey, wait a second. Can I come with you?"  
"Rebecca, I need you to head home and relax. We got a convention to plan."  
"Kathy. I need you here with me."  
"I promise I will figure this out. Just for you."  
She began to cry, I gave her a hug. Then she took me by the face and stared at me. Her face was now in full anger mode.  
"Listen and listen well Katherine. I want you to kill whoever did this to Christopher. Do you understand?"  
"Relax Rebecca. I'm pretty sure I will get it done okay?"  
"You didn't answer me. Do you understand?"  
I looked around to see a few faces stare back at me. I slowly nodded.  
"Good. I'll see you later."  
Something tells me I may not have to pay my sister back.  
I took my bike, looked at Rebecca through the window, and started down the road. Something about her face was really disheartening. There were times that I've seen her sad and I was able to comfort her easily. This was different. Ice cream didn't help and neither did paying for it. I promise her that I would find the perpetrator and to try and bring that person to justice myself. Hopefully, that person was only a couple of blocks away. I threw the bike down and jogged the rest of the way. Jogging three miles didn't hurt me at all. It was the person who I was going to meet that frightened me the worst.  
I busted through the door as I saw Muchiko on her laptop. She looked right at me as though nothing was wrong.  
"What did you do to him?" I screamed.  
So much for holding it in. I can hold my bathroom duties for two days -although I won't recommend it- but I couldn't hold an outburst.  
"Here. Let me show you something," Muchiko said.  
She showed me her laptop. It was a surveillance video of her day. She woke up, stayed in her living room, went to that secret room of hers -which didn't show-, cleaned the bathroom, and stayed watching TV.  
"I know that video trick. You probably left a fake tape to show me while you stepped out," I said.  
"Really? Is that what you think?"  
"It's what I know."  
"You over think yourself a whole lot."  
"Sure I do. Tell me the truth. My best friend Rebecca is really heartbroken over this. Answer me right now."  
My tone was a little bit threatening. Uh oh. For my safety, I really hope that she didn't catch that.  
"Listen. It wasn't me."  
Sigh of relief.  
"Prove it."  
"Cause I'm not that big on religion. Plus..."  
"Plus what?"  
"It was…my sister."  
"Well, let's bust her ass then!"  
"It's not that easy. Were you there when it happened?"  
"Well, no. And how did you know it was her to begin with?"  
"Her computer. I saw a couple of faces there that looked like targets. I recognized your annoying friend."  
"What list?"  
"I don't know what they were containing to."  
"So, she's a hacker?"  
"Yup."  
"Really? Just like..."  
"If your thinking of whom I think you're thinking of, you're sadly mistaken. It angers up my blood if you compare me to her."  
"But she's a fictional character. And she's awesome."  
"I warned you, alright?"  
"Fine. So anyway, what can we do?"  
"I sent her a very evil message."  
"That's all. How cute. But how did she get away with it?"  
"Harumi is the special type of person, who can get away with anything. Probably she found out about you when I introduced you to her. She looked you up at theschool and just attacked."  
"And she randomly chose Chris?"  
"Exactly. I don't know why she would go that low of a person."  
_Wait a minute. Only I know of his secret "change." Could that be the reason? Better not risk it_, I thought slowly to myself. _Or is it only me….?_  
"Damn. So wait...then Rebecca's next!"  
"No she isn't."  
"Yes she is."  
"I saw the faces there. She isn't next."  
"Why didn't you question her about it?"  
"I thought it was some art project."  
"Really wonderful."  
"And take a gander of a guess at when and where she will strike?"  
"Oh boy. This is not going to sound pretty."  
"No it won't."  
"I know where and I certainly know the section."  
"Huh?"  
"Nevermind. So what are we going to do?"  
"You better hope that you pass that test."  
"I know I did."  
As I left, Muchiko gave me a smile. I was really happy she gave me a smile. At least I know that means that she's happy. As for me, the stress was reaching the breaking point in my head. The week of the convention better hurry soon or else we were going to experience a huge bloody mess.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

I woke up to the sound of a medium sized Liberty bell. I checked my alarm clock: eight in the morning. I knew the exact reason as to why Jessie would do such an evil thing: it was my birthday. Double the happiness factor since today begins my convention adventure.  
I paused before I leaped out of bed. Jessie was prowling the hallway to see if I was up. Luckily I locked the door, really well this time. But that was also bad, since I had to run to the shower. If only I could outsmart her this year, then I would be home free. Jessie and I knew that the bathroom was right across from my room. I grabbed my towel from the rack and slowly, but quietly unlocked the door. I waited a few seconds for some footsteps before opening the door and running inside the bathroom. Lucky for me, it was open. I stood still in front of the door, scanning the area looking for any traps. I was still staring at the bathroom, when I heard footsteps running to my direction. I counted to two on my head, when I went inside the bathroom and closed the door. I heard the sound of Jessie's nose making contact with the bathroom door as I locked it. Right on the mark.  
I took a deep breath and started to think about what I was about to go through in the later mark of a couple of hours; both good and bad. Someone really mean was about to go after cosplayers who are either just having fun or on the wrong place at the wrong time. I made a mental note to call Rebecca immediately after I got out of the shower. Of course, she was the very first person to call me during a day as special as my birthday, so that would be the easy part. The hard part about all of this is telling her about the danger that loomed within the confines of the convention. I wasn't sure whether Rebecca would believed me if I said to her, "hey Rebecca be careful because there's a very angry mean Asian cosplayer that's about to bring bloodshed to the convention. As much as Rebecca was my close best friend for the past ten years, she would probably say, "sure thing Kathy. It's just a skit." It wouldn't have been the first time that she didn't believe me.  
After the refreshing shower, I, with nothing but a towel on, had to be vigilant with the doorway. There was a good chance that Jessie was waiting for me right by the doorway. I checked under just to be safe. It was all clear. I took a deep breath and opened the door. Once again, there was no one around. I took a step forward and felt a strong scent of cherries. For a second, I figured it was coming from the kitchen; Jessie probably planning something big for her party. Then I realized the obvious ploy: cherries, no matter how tasty the fruit actually is, it didn't have a strong scent like that one. I looked up at the ceiling, but didn't see anyone. I paused while my hand was grabbing the doorknob. The scent wasn't coming from the room but Jessie was really good at hiding. I turned to the kitchen and looked around….  
….where Jessie tackled me to the ground.  
"Hey there," said Jessie to me while I was on the floor. "You sure look taller the last time I saw you."  
"Gee, thanks for pointing out the obvious."  
"Did I hurt you?" she asked very carefully as if I was a celebrity. In a couple of hours at the convention, I sure as heck will be acting like one.  
"No you didn't sis. Can I please get up?"  
"Why?"  
"I want to go to my room to see how much calls I've missed."  
There was a pause that was from Jessie as she was still holding me down. A feint sound of a cellphone was heard with a ringtone that was really unfamiliar to me.  
"I got to take this call," she said. "Hurry and put on your outfit. I just want to make sure it fits perfectly."  
"Wait a second," I began. "Did you really have a tough time taking my measurements?"  
"Believe me when I tell you that it really wasn't easy."  
She got up and left, without even lifting me up. How nice. I checked my body to see if there were any scars or anything broken in my system. Older siblings tend to do accidental things to your body when they really want to show you love. Jessie was obviously no exception.  
I ran upstairs to my room and checked my phone. Two missed calls; Rebecca and Muchiko. It was really odd that Muchiko would call me so early. Rebecca I understood perfectly, but I guess Muchiko was as normal as I thought. I flipped a nickel, saw that it landed on tails and called Muchiko first. It took two rings before she answered.  
"Hello?" she said, as if she didn't know it was me.  
"Muchiko it's me, Kathy."  
"Oh right. Where were you?"  
"I was in the shower. Today's the day of the convention remember?"  
"Oh right. I expect you to be vigilant understand?"  
"Yes I know. I'm still as surprised that you won't come by the convention after actually figuring out what will actually happen."  
"Oh right. Enjoy yourself and congratulations on the exam. I knew you could do it."  
"You're welcome. I'm going to try out my outfit now. Not the one your sister gave me, it's one my sister gave me."  
"Oh ri-"  
"Please don't say that again. It tends to really get annoying."  
Muchiko gave a laugh. "You remind me of myself." I heard her shed a tear. I didn't know I had that natural ability to hear tears of sadness from through the phone. "Well, I'm sure you will be fine. I can see your strength the moment I tutored you and you posses a well defined confident character."  
"What if, well, whatever your sister throws at me will be too much for me to handle?" I asked.  
"No matter birthday girl. You'll be fine."  
"Gee thanks."  
"Enjoy your day."  
"No problem."  
She hung up without warning. I stared at my phone, hoping that she would at least call back and give me some well nurtured advice. After about ten seconds of staring at the pretty wallpaper I had on my phone of roses, I closed it and took out my Sakura cosplay outfit from the closet. As I placed it on the bed, I began to get really nervous. I knew nothing about Harumi or how much of a sick person she was. Muchiko basically gave me a quick order in hopes of finding her sister in a sea full of teens and older teens in costume. It wasn't going to be easy to spot someone right away; adding the fact that I had no clue which anime character she was going as, or if she was going to cosplay at all. Man, why are all these things never easy?  
What made putting on the outfit really easy was the simple aspect of me being covered in only a towel. The shorts would come first, then the pink shirt and finally the comfortable black boots. I never thought that I would be wearing boots in the spring or at least for my birthday. Hey it was a very special occasion, so I may as well give it a try.  
Finally I placed the headband over…my head of course. I stared at it in the mirror. It didn't put a mark on my forehead the way hats do, so I knew that it was comfortable. Still, I couldn't get the sisterly argument out of my head. The mark of Harumi's nose was still imprinted on my knuckles. Whatever revenge she had planned on me, she might as well place it on me and not anyone else. I didn't want to see anyone get hurt today because of some Asian psychopath with a grunge on her sister. Muchiko had a lot of faith in me. I wondered whether something happened between the two and she couldn't manage to hold down Harumi long enough for….something. I shook it off. Even though I knew nothing of the two sisters, this I do know: Muchiko was the one who tutored me and Muchiko helped me get a grade of a ninety seven. Anyone who can help me get through Chemistry as a birthday present is okay in my book, no matter how weird they seem.  
I checked the time as I ran inside Jessie's room without knocking. She was on the phone very distracted, lying in her bed face down, reading a magazine -which I couldn't see the contents-, and dangling her legs on the other side of the bed. Sometimes she can act as young as sixteen which scares me.  
"Jessie, Jessie, I look gorgeous," I said to her as I showed her my new look.  
Tapping her on the shoulder would seem like a polite way to get someone's attention, but not Jessie. It was a risk I had to take but even in a day like my birthday, she would still have some excuse to hit me.  
"Somebody wake me up from this nightmare 'cause I gotta be dreaming. Who do these genius spy catchers think they're dealing with, Winnie the Pooh?" she randomly said. Jessica McAndrews, probably the most confusing sister I've ever had.  
"Uhhh, what are you talking about?" I asked.  
Jessie looked a bit in shock like I just found out her password to her secret stash of gold. "It's nothing. No worries. Hang on a sec." She finished her conversation in two minutes before getting her cell phone camera and taking a picture of me. "Hey, you look hot."  
I will admit, it did make me look slender, which was what I wanted. I also like how the pink wig looked with the rest of my outfit. It really goes well and actually gave me the urge to dye my own hair pink. The good thing about the outfit was that it wasn't a peeping hole for any Peeping Toms through the convention. I sure hope Rebecca, cosplaying as Ino took similar steps in preventing that from happening to her as well. Which suddenly reminded me that I had to call her as soon as Jessie finished making her own album of thirty pictures; containing me in my Sakura cosplay outfit standing in her room. What fun. Personally, I wanted my own album to feature myself actually _in _the convention, not my house. Seems weird to me.  
"Thanks sis," I said.  
"So you ready to go, miss newly made 18 year old?"  
Her saying that really made me smile.  
"Yeah I'm ready."  
"So do we need to pick up your friend?"  
"No no she'll meet me there."  
"That's good. If she did come with us, I would have to charge her with gas money."  
I laughed. "O.k. cool." With that being said, I was painfully forgetting to call back Rebecca.  
"I'll be right back Jess, I forgot my phone," I drastically called out as I turned and headed up the steps.  
I heard the hard smack of Jessie's hand hitting her forehead as she called out, "That's the one thing you DO NOT forget."  
I ran to my room and grabbed my phone; which I also forgot. There were no calls to me. I dialed Rebecca's number. No answer. It was off. Even though we were best friends, I too wouldn't answer the phone in a day like today. If anything, saving the battery for pictures and videos of people in costumes doing insane things is worth the entire battery. Smart girl.  
I ran downstairs and was heading out the door when Jessie stopped me.  
"Hey listen," she said. "I know you're still a bit traumatized over Chris's death."  
It took me a week to get over it, and very lovely, for my birthday, Jessie reminds me of it again and makes me cry. Good job sis.  
"I know sis. He was supposed to be our Naruto today," I said.  
She gave me a tearful hug. We had all of this planned the three of us. Now there's one missing. What a birthday this turned out to be.  
"Thank you," I said.  
We stepped out into the front of the house as I hopped on Jessie's motorcycle. I checked my pockets to make sure I had my cellphone and some money. Once that was all in place, we headed to the center for the annual Anime Central convention. People started to stare at me as Jessie drove by the busy streets. It was as if they never seen a cosplayer on a motorcycle before. It wasn't as if I was trying to pose for playboy on some bike issue. I was right on those aspects since there were mostly guys that stared at me. I didn't know why they were looking at me. I knew that the cosplay outfit made me look cute -and only cute- but not that attractive. I was pretty sure that they were whistling at my sister, but when she turned to me and said, "The whistles are not at me," I covered my face on my sister's back in embarrassment. Jessie was more attractive than me, but these perverts look at me, see that I'm wearing a cosplay outfit for only one day, and they think I'm free lunch. I liked a few guys at school, but so far I haven't had a decent boyfriend. I wanna hangout with someone respectful, not someone who will say, "hey beautiful, you gonna wear that for me?" I'm sorry, but if I'm wearing it and the guy is somewhat of a creep, I'm beating his brains out. And he won't like it. We made it to the convention center. Jessie gave me a fist pump.  
"Well enjoy," she said.  
"Remember to take care of the house while I'm gone, understand?" I asked in a good impersonation of Mom.  
"Yes mom. I'll be careful."  
"Okay. Bye sweetie."  
Jessie shook her head in laughter. She always made me laugh, but my impersonation of mom always got her in a good mood. With her clumsiness alone in a room however, I was afraid to come back to a burning roasted house with its own barbecue sauce. I took the thought out of my head and focused on the adventure inside the building ahead.  
I entered the front doors of the great spectacle and as expected, it was insanely packed with cosplayers. Seeing the big crowd of teens and young adults dressed up in costumes to make Halloween come 6 months early really puts a smile on my face. What gave me a bigger smile was seeing the familiar yet friendly face of a cosplayer sipping on soda. I poked Rebecca on the shoulder, something I've been doing to her since we started being friends.  
"Its 10:15 in the morning and your drinking soda?" I said. "I guess you really came prepared to waste away throughout the day haven't you?  
She poked me in the shoulder. "Hey, I need my caffeine", she said and gave me a huge hug. I saw it in her eyes that she was still feeling the effects of seeing Chris's mangled crucified body in her mind and not complaining about why I missed her calls this morning. As she was telling me the things that were on schedule for today, I couldn't have felt any happier than seeing her. Besides my family and of course my sister, Rebecca was on that "top people who will forever make me happy" list. And she was well worth that position. Rebecca then took out something from her pocket and immediately put it on my neck.  
"Hey wha-?" I said surprised.  
"It's my birthday present for you. Remember that day ten years ago when we went to the carnival and you offered me some ice cream after I took it to the roller coaster and it spilled all over the seat?"  
"Yeah I remember. It was also rather embarrassing."  
"Well look at it."  
The necklace was a small picture on a silver platting that her mom took of me giving her my piece of ice cream and placing it on her cone. I remember the picture on her room and I had no idea she would make this sort of surprise for me. Rebecca showed me the same necklace on her neck. I cried because it was one of my favorite moments. And it was the day we started our friendship. The fear in my heart was washed away. Maybe things would work out really well today.  
"Thank you thank you so much!" I said.  
"It was the least I can do on something this big of a day just for you."  
"Really? You didn't have to though. I mean-"  
Rebecca placed her hand on my mouth as a notion for me to keep quiet.  
"Please don't talk okay? Let's just paint the convention red," she said.  
I shrugged it off as we headed down the big hallway through the huge crowd. No one looked our way at all, not even for a picture. Maybe later I suppose. Rebecca was dragging me along through the big crowd, weaving through teens and not getting tripped.  
"Hey Rebecca calm down," I said. "I almost tripped over someone's shoelace a minute ago."  
"Well we have to hurry," she responded.  
We were about to go down an escalator when behind me I overheard a reporter talking and what sounded like a camera breaking. The person throwing down the camera looked all too familiar. Who else would you know besides a bride would take wearing white to an extreme level? I knew only one person.  
"Hey hey I got first amendment rights here," said the cameraman.  
"I just amended them," said Muchiko.  
And that person couldn't be any more insane.  
I waved at her direction. She saw me and was holding a big present.  
"Told you I won't forget," said Muchiko.  
"And here I thought you wouldn't show up," I said to her.  
Immediately I looked at Rebecca and remembered the meeting between me and Muchiko regarding Harumi and her line of victims. I looked at the necklace on my neck. I was worried. No one would ever come close to touching her as long as I was near her. Which got me even more worried. Rebecca poked me to hint at me that she was still next to me.  
"Hello Kathy? You okay up there? You're not going to introduce me to your friend?" asked Rebecca.  
I dazed off a bit before I shifted my senses back to reality.  
"Sorry. This is my friend Rebecca," I said looking at Muchiko. "Becky...this is umm."  
"Just call me a better version of Chii from Chobits," said Muchiko.  
"Oh umm, pleased to meet you," said Rebecca.  
Muchiko looked at my face and gave me a really quick shake of her head. Rebecca randomly pinched her cheek and asked for a picture.  
"Sure sure. Can I borrow Sakura for a moment? I promise to bring her back," said Muchiko.  
"Okay," said Rebecca as Muchiko dragged me to another part of the convention. Muchiko's face was very distraught, as if she witnessed a car crash. She pinned me to the wall. For a second, I was about to scream for help. Her face and blue eyes turned from sadness to a faint smile.  
"Okay, so now what?" I said. "You don't want your identity revealed or something?"  
"Open the present," she replied, clearly avoiding my question.  
"But wait a minute."  
"Just please…open the present," she demanded with her hands raised.  
I did as I was told and was astonished. After opening the box, it was a smaller box, then a smaller box, then a smaller box, until I saw:  
"Your moon earrings? These are your prized possessions. I really can't have these," I said surprised.  
"They look better on you than they do on me," she replied.  
"Yeah but answer the question first: Why the secret identity?"  
"Listen. I saw my sister arrive here half an hour ago and she's looking for someone. Then she headed for the bathroom probably to try out a cosplay outfit."  
Once again, completely avoiding my question.  
"Okay and?"  
"Remember that I mentioned that your friend wasn't the next target?"  
"Yeah?"  
"She wasn't on the list."  
"And who's the girl she's looking for?"  
"I looked through the list of names as quickly as I could. It's a girl by the name of Natasha Nikulina; of Russian decent obviously."  
"Obviously."  
"For your question: the reason I gave a secret identity to your friend, besides the fact that I do trust her, is that I don't want anyone knowing who I am. Plus, a majority of Harumi's friends all work here."  
"Here? At the convention?"  
"Yup."  
"If I get my hands on one of them, they better tell me where to fill an application."  
"And you already know why I'm here."  
"Not the earrings."  
"Besides that of course."  
"But why her? Not to sound without a lack of justice, but why is she so important?"  
"That's what I'm here to find out. I didn't get any connection from the people on the list, but it has to be something."  
"Just great. I'm sure Harumi is dying to tell you."  
"I'll send you back to your friend. I think Natasha is in cosplay, but I don't know as whom."  
"Good luck searching, but please don't involve me in any of this okay? I would like to enjoy my birthday in peace."  
Muchiko smiled. We walked back to where Rebecca was, drinking another cup of soda as they posed together. I took the picture of them together as Muchiko walked in the opposite direction.  
"Wow. Nice earrings," said Rebecca as soon as Muchiko was out of earshot. "I couldn't see those fitting in that big box."  
"Yeah well, it does," I said.  
I was about to start the anime adventure of a lifetime, when Rebecca pulled me, turned me around and saw a group of cosplayers outside and looked as though they were about to have a outdoor photoshoot.  
"C'mon can we go see?" said Rebecca.  
"But I wanted to meet up with some voice actresses first," I said. "Besides, they're not even in our same anime as we are."  
"That's a really dumb reason don't you think?"  
I sighed and smiled. I figured a nice morning photoshoot would warm me up for some anime shopping. I also figured as much that this would be something for Rebecca to get herself happy again and not think of Chris much. So I went with it.  
As we stepped outside to an area just outside of the convention, there were many cosplayers from an anime I vaguely remembered hearing about. Some wore black, others were dressed like fancy twelve year olds who were rich, but the majority of them wore a red jacket, red wigs, and a plastic chainsaw. A really interesting group of cosplayers. One of the cosplayers, who were not with the group but across the street with a camera looked at me and said, "Hey, go with the group. It would look like a nice crossover."  
"Well, I don't know."  
"Oh go ahead Kathy. I'll be taking the picture. And it's your birthday so why not?" said Rebecca.  
I gave her a huge smile. It was my first time cosplaying and I was already invited to a cosplay group shot. How exciting. I ran happily to the side where the one who were dressed in red were. The majority of them were girls on that side. Some were guys, but most of them were girls. That put an even bigger smile on my face. I always thought girls cosplayed characters a lot better than guys.  
I stood there and gave an okay pose for Rebecca to work with. Rebecca was across the very small street on the bottom of the outdoor convention area smiling. Everything was working as well as it should've been. Then there was the strong scent of oranges. Oh boy, it couldn't be...  
Rebecca was going to take another picture, when suddenly one of the cosplayers next to her grabs her by the neck and pulls out a gun. I knew for a fact that this had nothing to do with an anime scene in the first place, so I knew this wasn't any ordinary anime roleplay scene -an interesting scene by the way-. How did she even sneak a gun in the first place? Where's the TSA when you need them BEFORE the show?  
"Hey what's going on?!" I yelled.  
The rest of the cosplayers that were with me began to say the same things I was saying. One of the cosplayers' that was on my side of the street in particular took out a plastic chainsaw that actually revved up like a real one. She was really tall and got the jist that it was a real gun. Thank goodness someone was paying attention.  
"Let her go," she demanded.  
"Quiet!" yelled the cosplayer with the gun.  
That voice. Oh no not her again.  
"Harumi, let my friend go!" I said.  
"You know this loon?" the girl with the chainsaw said in her Russian accent.  
As on cue, a small knife whizzed past me and pinned the gun to the wall. The orange scent that I smelled before came out from behind a pole as Muchiko gave a little scratch of her hair before stepping in front of me. First bananas, now oranges?  
"She doesn't concern you sis," said Muchiko.  
"Oh really?" said Harumi, still holding on to Rebecca. I was in a frenzy of panic. This wasn't the birthday party I had planned.  
"Everyone get out of here, hurry," I told the rest of the cosplayers who stood there, looking stunned. Something told me that the girl with the chainsaw -who undoubtedly was Natasha wasn't staying with us on our side of running away but rather staying with us on our side of the small street. I would as well, if I was a mad as hell Russian with a plastic chainsaw. As I turned around, the other two cosplayers who were on Harumi's side of the street both whipped out guns.  
"Oh boy," I said. "I should've taken my own advice."  
"Don't worry little one," said the forementioned Natasha, who looked around twenty-five years old. "The time for games is over! Release her, you evil demon of a child!"  
Man she's tough. Probably the best quote I've heard in years.  
Muchiko nodded, acknowledging Natasha's help as the Russian did the same. Now I've got two nutcases to send birthday presents to. One's a mad scientist and one's a chainsaw wielding maniac. How fun.  
"Enough," said Muchiko as she took out what looked liked two small acorns out of her 'little goody bag'.  
"Well, you want to save her don't you?" asked Harumi, with a keen smile. "Hand me Natasha, and I'll spare you this girl's life."  
Forget I ever mentioned calling Muchiko and Natasha nutcases, because there was a real one standing right across from me. I was mouthing the words 'be calm' under my breath to Rebecca without anything coming out of my voice. Rebecca and I actually learned to read mouths pretty well since we've been practicing when we started becoming friends. Rebecca gave me a small nod.  
"Trade me for Rebecca," said Muchiko rather sternly. "If you want me sis, you would leave her alone."  
"Are you insane? Give me the Russian now!"  
"Hell no! Unless you tell me what you want with her, then maybe I will consider it."  
"Don't stand there and try to argue with me. You know you will never win."  
Natasha gave Harumi a long hard stare. "I don't know who you are weirdo," she said. "But you're not touching me."  
"Surrender or the girl dies," said Harumi, very frustrated.  
Muchiko had two little acorns ready in her hand while I was trying my best to hopefully calm Rebecca down so she won't have an embarrassing accident. I stepped in front of the street between the two groups. It was a risky maneuver, seeing as how two crazy sisters were on opposite sides of the street, but when your best friend is close to getting her brains blasted, you have no other option.  
"Harumi! Let her go, NOW!" I screamed. There was no common sense in my voice telling me that it was a stupid idea and to retreat. I've ignored the little voice in my head before. Usually when I do that, it often results to me having a very grave injury; thanks to Jessie of course. This one was not even close to just calling it a "normal injury." This was as well as signing my own death warrant.  
Then we looked at Harumi who took out a test tube filled with purplish liquid.  
"I'll pour this down her throat if I don't get what I want," said Harumi.  
Natasha looked really angry. "You hide behind a hostage and are scared to face me. You said you wanted to try and capture me. So go ahead and try."  
She revved up the plastic chainsaw and was ready to charge. I didn't know what kind of damage a plastic chainsaw would do to human flesh, but by the way Natasha's face looked, I wouldn't want to be Harumi right now. Muchiko pulled me back to our side of the street. Then Natasha stopped on the middle of the street where I was a few seconds earlier. Rebecca elbowed Harumi in the gut and started running towards me. Idiot. That is something you do not do if a maniac has you hostage. Even a maniac wearing cosplay.  
Muchiko threw the acorns at Harumi's cohorts while I ducked. Harumi threw the purple liquid at Rebecca while Natasha stood frozen in the middle of the street. At an instance, it all felt like slow motion. Both objects the sisters threw were thrown at the same time. Muchiko wanted to try and knock the purple liquid tube on the floor but she missed. Unfortunately, Harumi threw the liquid at Rebecca and landed right on target. The acorns were filled with gas and landed on the floor near Harumi and her hooligans. Harumi looked as though she knew it was coming because she made a loud whistle and a car came by, picked them up and they were gone. As for Rebecca, the liquid hit on the head like a hammer as she fell down. The car drove off. Natasha and I came to Rebecca's aid. Damn Rebecca, very stubborn.  
"Hey buddy, you okay?" I asked, as worried as I could be. She was extremely pale and breathing heavily.  
"I...I think so," she said struggling to talk. This was turning out to be really scary.  
"Let me help you up-"  
"Don't touch her!" said Muchiko.  
"Hey what's the big idea?" said Natasha.  
"She needs medical help!" I shouted.  
"I'm sorry Katherine. Nothing will save her."  
I started to grab Muchiko's collar, when I turned to stare at Rebecca, really scared that I couldn't do anything. If someone who knew Chemistry like the back of her hand said not to touch her, either it was poison or something way worse. That idea got me frightened. There was no help around our area, only the four of us. A thought followed up on my mind that someone must've have contacted security.  
"We really have to go," I said hurriedly. "Like now."  
Rebecca got up by herself. I swallowed at the paleness of her face.  
"Chii, what's the matter? I feel fine," she asked Muchiko.  
Muchiko looked at her and frowned. A tear ran down Rebecca's eye, but she wasn't crying. Natasha, since she had gloves -part of her cosplay outfit- touched it and gave it a little lick.  
"Tastes like salt," she said.  
Tears were salty, but looking at Natasha's face after the taste, too salty was a bad thing. I kept staring at Rebecca, not knowing what do, and hoping Muchiko had some sort of magic potion to rescue her. The look on her face said it all, she had nothing.  
"Rebecca? Are you doing alright?" I asked.  
She just stared at me and continued crying. I was about to grab her -no matter what Muchiko said not to do- and run to the hospital, but then the scariest thing I have ever seen from the whole situation began to happen: Rebecca's cheeks began flowing rivers of salt.  
"What's happening to me? Stomach pains...my bones feel weak. Kathy...Kathy HELP ME!" she screamed.  
Salt was continuing to flow down her cheeks, then out of her mouth. She leaned on me and kept crying. I just looked at her with tears of my own. In five seconds my best friend was left in a pillar of salt. Only the picture of us was left on the small salt hill. Muchiko laid there in stunned silence. Natasha grabbed me and comforted me, very silent as well. I didn't care why Harumi wasn't in a mental institution yet; I just wanted my friend back. Unfortunately, that wouldn't be the case. Muchiko grabbed me from Natasha's grip and I smacked her.  
"What was that all about?! You let her get killed?!"  
"Listen it wasn't my fault."  
"Not your fault? No offense to Natasha, but we protected who you said you wanted to protect which is fine. YOU COULDN'T EVEN SAVE MY BEST FRIEND?!"  
Natasha stared at both of us in complete confusion. She shook her head, looked at the pillar of salt and said softly: "And Lot's wife disobeyed the Lord's command by looking back at the doomed city, and was turned into a pillar of salt", while giving it a blessing.  
Both Muchiko and I looked at Natasha as she took the picture from the salt hill and gave it to me. I knew that quote very well from the Bible of course, but the shocking thing was that I just experienced it firsthand. Harumi was way past being a psycho; she was a psycho who used the Bible as a terrorist handbook. To add to the festivities, we got a Russian cosplayer who knew these passages by heart. By the way she held me again from grabbing me away from Muchiko, she reminded me of my older sister Jessie. I pushed Natasha's hands away gently and started to walk away.  
"Hey where are you going?" asked Muchiko.  
"Hey, you better leave me alone."  
"Wait a minute," she replied, but I kept on walking. Two people I knew were dead and her crazy sister was behind all of it. I wanted to deal with her myself, but then Natasha chased and stopped me.  
"Hey kiddo, relax. I'm very sorry about your friend, but we will extract vengeance upon that witch of a woman," she said. I guess I had to really admire her determination, among other things. Her outfit was really making me jealous. I turned to Muchiko.  
"What does our new friend here have to do with all of this?" I asked really confused. I didn't mind the company at all. I just wanted to know what kind of business she had in all of this. Natasha was innocent enough and she didn't look the type who would flip the script in front of us. Probably a bit scared of Muchiko.  
Muchiko looked at Natasha. "Show Katherine your tattoo."  
"Wait a minute. How do you know about that?" said Natasha.  
"Just do it o.k?"  
She sighed and rolled up her right sleeve. It was a tattoo of a girl with a pipe. Behind the girl was a Russian flag. I still looked dumbfounded.  
"That's my friend Anya," said Natasha.  
"And that's Harumi's target," said Muchiko.  
"And why is she important. Is she a part of the KGB or something?" I asked like an idiot. I hoped for my sake that Natasha wasn't offended by it.  
"Well she is somewhat….in a weird way. She's also-"  
"Nevermind. We'll see what we can do to rescue her."  
"Sure. No problem."  
"We just need someplace to hide."  
Now this wasn't making sense at all. Was this Anya character rich or something, or was there something that Muchiko wasn't telling me. Muchiko got in her blue Jeep Cherokee. Without saying another word, I also got in. Natasha sat in the back with me. She was trying her best to cheer me up, but after what I just saw, that will be really hard to do. I was just completely angry. I still didn't know how Harumi was able to escape unscathed. Let's just hope we can get her before anyone else got hurt.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

We headed near a park, when I dived to hit the brakes.  
"Hey, tell me when you're going to do that again. You freaking frightened me," said Muchiko.  
"Well, we need to hide of course," I said.  
"Where's a good place to hide?"  
"Sorry, not my place," said Natasha. The way she looked at us it was as if she was hiding something important. Muchiko made a quick motion with her head and motioned to me.  
"What about your place? Would your sister mind?"  
I gave it some thought. Either Jessie would get pissed or we would die if we stood here long enough. Well, why not.  
I climbed to the front of the jeep, nodded and gave her directions. We arrived at the front door within minutes and to the sound of very loud music.  
"I guess your sister has an awesome party planned," said Natasha. "Are you sure she won't mind us partying with her?"  
The odd image of cosplayers standing around the front lawn in front of my house would be something I would've never thought of having in my life. This wasn't the time to daydream of course.  
"She'll be fine with it. I'm sure of it," I said.  
Muchiko was the first one to knock on the door.  
"Dang it. What the heck are you doing?" I asked, taking her hand off the door.  
"Just for her to supply us with service of answering the door."  
"Service? She isn't a maid."  
"Can she drink?" asked Natasha.  
"Uhh, yes she can."  
Muchiko knocked on the door even louder. A voice was heard behind the door as my darling older sister Jessie. Hopefully, there was nothing broken upon her journey to the front door. She usually straddled around the house barefoot, so that wouldn't be a good sign if she bled all over the place. I hope Muchiko had some bandages ready in that belt of hers.  
Jessie opened the door and was face to face with Muchiko. She had on short-shorts, sunglasses pinned to her hair, and a blue shirt that said: "The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on the list." If there was something that disturbing on my sister's clothing that I haven't seen, I'm just happy that I haven't seen it…yet. Natasha gave her a small wave.  
"Umm, hi. Did the costume party end early? It's only twelve in the afternoon," said Jessie, looking at me.  
"Yeah, pretty much."  
Jessie felt my ear. "Katherine, do you know why you ear turns warm randomly?"  
Muchiko was about to push Jessie out of the way, but Jessie held up her hand. In an instant, Muchiko stood still. Natasha held on to me as if she was confronted by a stranger.  
"Umm, no I don't," I said. I didn't know what she was getting at.  
"Let me try this again: What happened at the convention today? It isn't like you to skip out on a convention so popular. Also, I didn't plan for your birthday here."  
I had to come up with something that would make it really believable. Natasha stepped forward between Muchiko and myself and began to speak. Her accent began to sound stronger than when she spoke to us back at the convention. I looked at her very slowly, trying not to draw attention to myself from Jessie. That was also something she was really good at deciphering.  
"Please excuse us from intruding on you and your party," said Natasha with a much concerned bow. "My good friend Chii and I ran into your sister Katherine and she was very happy about how our cosplay outfits looked that she decided to invite us over for a cosplay birthday sleepover in her room."  
Muchiko gave a slow disgusted nod. I knew for a fact that she could've came up with something even better for a cover story. Jessie stared through the gap of our argument, but couldn't find anything that could make our argument seem rather tarnished by lies.  
"Let me get this straight to see if I'm playing with a full deck," Jessie began. "You want to have a slumber party in your room at the same time I'm having a party, with two girls, who you barely know and from what I see are much too old for a slumber party. Why?"  
"Cause we're in cosplay," I said. "And that's why it is called a cosplay slumber party."  
"Uh-huh. And where's your friend Becky?"  
Oh crap. I didn't know why it took her long enough to realize that one. Jessie would only not believe what happened, but coming here at the front door with two strangers would be certain death in my part.  
Looking only at the floor, I took a deep breath. "She's in-"  
"Her house. She told us she got a huge stomach virus," said Muchiko.  
Jessie recognized her voice.  
"You're the girl that called me during the tutoring session."  
"Yes, that was me," said Muchiko. "I'm really happy to finally meet you."  
"Uhh, okay. Well, I'm happy to meet you too."  
"Oh and thanks for how you broke up with David. He truly is a jerk."  
"Sure sure. It was a while back, so please don't mention it again. I'm trying my best to forget about him."  
"I'm truly sorry and no problem."  
I introduced Jessie to Natasha when Jessie said, "This will feel pretty awkward for me since I had this booked for a while."  
Natasha looked at Jessie. "I can bring some strong vodka if your partygoers drink."  
"Okay cool," said Jessie. It surprised me as much that Jessie wasn't going to kill me after all. As long as I had some backup support for her party, then I was going to be in the clear. As long as she doesn't know about Rebecca and the pain that Harumi caused us, then I was certain to be fine. I just hoped that she didn't turn on the news.  
Natasha ran out the door. Keep in mind that she still had her cosplay outfit and we were still being hunted, so odds of us getting caught went way up. I hope Natasha actually had the skill to defend herself in the streets of Chicago.  
"So what are you bringing?" Jessie asked Muchiko.  
Muchiko looked a bit annoyed while Jessie spoke to her but smiled a bit. She didn't say that she wanted to speak to my sister; only to thank her. She was probably the only one who looked annoyed.  
"What's the matter with you?"  
"Uhh, it's nothing sorry. I'll help you cook if you don't mind," said Muchiko.  
"You can cook? Well c'mon in to the kitchen," said Jessie.  
Jessie put her arm around Muchiko's shoulder. Muchiko knows that my sister means well, but that newly acquired friendship was already starting to turn sour.  
Jessie gave me the job of cleaning the living room because according to her, it was certain that I was lying; something about my ear I believe. It was by far the easiest room to clean. It isn't small or anything of that nature and of course Jessie is starting to be as lazy as ever. It's highly understandable for her to be a non-efficient worker and I don't blame her; I would get a bit scared as well if I knew that whatever I cleaned would get dirty again or break. That's the benefits of being accident prone; you don't get to do anything. The most ironic thing about preparing for a party was that she was in charge of cooking and her status of being accident prone all of the time; she's actually a REALLY GOOD cook. It was at least something good that she can do without getting herself burned. Thank goodness.  
Well let me explain that irony with an interesting story: For our parents wedding anniversary four years ago, Jessie was in charge of cooking. My mom told her that she and Dad were going out to eat, but after an extreme heated argument, Jessie insisted and begged that she cook. So, while Mom and Dad went out to the carnival -interesting anniversary present- Jessie began to cook while I was in charge of the music and getting the dining room ready. Before they went out, Dad bet Jessie that if she burned ANYTHING at all, then she owed him five hundred dollars. If she didn't, then he would buy her tickets to a concert in Europe that she wanted to go to. Even I sided with Dad on this one. Jessie didn't even have five hundred dollars, so if she lost there was no way that she was going to get out of this one. To make the situation even more interesting, I wasn't allowed near Jessie AT ALL for help or advice. So she was all alone in the kitchen. I cleaned the room, set the music and table all while getting really worried about how this situation was going to turn out. Two hours later, Mom and Dad came back and sat at the table. Jessie came in with the most prepared and well-cooked duck I have ever seen. The food also came with rice, lettuce, and some sort of tangy sauce. Dad went to the kitchen to check everything. Next thing I knew, Jessie was gone for a week to Norway. Man, my sister can weasel out of any situation, but a party...well I hope this would be something easier to get out of.  
Three hours later Muchiko and Jessie were done in the kitchen while Natasha came back with some strong booze. Their bickering was really loud through the living room.  
"No vodka?" said Jessie getting out of the kitchen.  
"This stupid town. There's nothing authentically Russian here. Only some cake, but I bothered not to get any. I wanted to get drunk tonight so I got some beer instead," she said.  
Muchiko came out of the kitchen and looked pretty much in a fixed argument with Jessie. She knew of her clumsiness but she really didn't know her very well like I do. After just knowing Muchiko for a couple of weeks however, she might as well have her tied her up somewhere; her way of calming someone down without getting her hands dirty.  
"Jessie, listen to me. I understand that you know what you're doing but I can assure you, you used the wrong spices on the chicken. It will overload the heating process. Remove it in two hours," said Muchiko.  
"It takes two and a half hours to cook the chicken. Don't worry," said Jessie.  
Muchiko set her watch. "I'm setting my watch to two and a half hours from now. If I hear an explosion, then...''  
"You won't buddy, trust me."  
Muchiko looked at me. "Prepare cleaning material for the kitchen." I gave her a salute. Natasha did the same. Muchiko gave Jessie a hard cold stare. A scientist who knew about chemistry heating properties against an accident prone star cook? It was really hard to pick a winner. Natasha walked to the kitchen and put the beer on the fridge as I led my crew to my room. I sat on the bed. Muchiko sat next to me while Natasha sat on the chair that was next to my computer. Natasha spoke first.  
"O.k. so who are you two?" asked Natasha. "I'm happy that I've made two great friends as cosplayers, but what's the deal with what just happened earlier?"  
Muchiko nodded and told Natasha about me, her and a bit about the whole Harumi situation. When Natasha asked why Harumi hated her guts, she stepped out of the room.  
"I guess we hit a soft spot on your friend here," said Natasha. "It's a funny thought that you met her because you wanted help in a chemistry exam."  
"It has to be something from their past I just know it," I said. Then I asked Natasha about her friend Anya, to see if there was some clue as to why Harumi was after her.  
"Well Anya doesn't even know this Harumo teenager," she said.  
"Well that's a good start," I thought. I added a laugh. Natasha calling her Harumo was pretty bold and funny. "Anything else?"  
"Well, she was always a party girl."  
She went on to explain that Anya was attacked by boys at a young age because she was a lot more attractive than her. Luckily, it wasn't anything sexual. She mostly smoked, and tried her best at becoming a bartender, but failed because of her history of bad habits, mostly pick pocketing. What an interesting life.  
Muchiko came in, pretending to be dizzy and collapsed on the bed.  
"Are you okay?" I asked, like I was going to fall for something that stupid.  
"I'm alright. Just a little dazed," she said. She looked at her watch. "Just thirty minutes left."  
Loud music began to play once again. So I guess the party began. Natasha began to talk on her cellphone, while I attended to Muchiko on my bed.  
"Are you sure you're feeling okay? I can get you something from the bathroom," I said. Now I realized that she was serious about getting dizzy and collapsing on my room. Ooopsie.  
"Well, a wet towel would be nice. Preferably with some ice on it," said Muchiko.  
"No problem. Are you sure you can be alright with Natasha's loud chatting?"  
"I'm sure. I promise I won't ring her throat when you leave."  
I left and closed the door slowly when there was a loud scream on the other side of the hallway. It came from my sister's room.  
"Hey! Open up sis!" I screamed.  
Muchiko opened the door of my room and broke down the door of Jessie's room. Jessie was staring at her computer screen, opened mouthed in complete shock.  
"What's the matter sis?" I asked.  
"My computer...it has gotten hacked," she said in a tone of complete fear.  
Muchiko looked at the computer screen. Sure enough there was a huge cartoon bunny on the screen with the words "You've been hacked" on the screen.  
"Wait a minute," I said, suddenly realizing the situation right in front of my face. "Why aren't you attending to your own party? Please don't tell me that you're going to let something break and then blame it on yourself when our parents come home to a party that isn't supposed to happen." Somehow it felt weird seeing Jessie here and not downstairs; as much as she had this planned for a while.  
"Hey don't worry about it alright?"  
"Yes, I will worry."  
"What did you do?" asked Muchiko.  
"I didn't do anything. I just went to try and order something for the party that I completely forgot and-"  
Another scream. This time it came from downstairs. The three of us ran down the stairs to see some of the party goers run outside.  
"What happened? Party bored everyone?" said Jessie.  
Natasha came running down the stairs behind us.  
"Maybe it was the strong beer," she said.  
"Someone came through the front door," said a girl.  
"And you let them in?" asked Jessie angrily  
"She claimed she was a friend of yours."  
"Huh? I know no one else around this block instead of the people I invited."  
"Well, we didn't know."  
"And again: you let that person in? Geez."  
Jessie looked really frustrated. The music completely stopped dead. Muchiko stepped forward.  
"How did this person look like?" she asked.  
"Some girl who looked European."  
"Wonderful. Someone who I don't even know ruined my dinner," said Jessie.  
"That's not all."  
We went to the kitchen were we saw someone lay unconscious. Then we saw the reason right in front of us. The water was turned to:  
"Blood," said Muchiko.  
"And the flowing rivers and the sea turned red, and were as blood," said Natasha.  
"No one call the ambulance. Everyone out right now!" said Jessie.  
The partygoers were stunned, but everyone left without saying a word. I was now even more frightened. I had an odd feeling that, if we don't hurry up soon, and if my memory served me correctly, there would be at least nine more feats to see; at least only seven could be done by feats of science. If I only knew how and where Harumi is getting these ideas in the first place. The water was dumped out while my crew and I headed back to my room. Jessie was left to clean the mess. She was the one who started the party, so she was left with the cleaning. I was just an innocent victim who brought friends along.  
"Well it was obvious that the hacking was a distraction," I said. "Anyone you asked got a good look at the person?"  
"From what I heard, most of the people were chasing the suspect," said Natasha. "And the fact that your sister, dear Muchiko, is Asian and not European tells the fact that we were chased from the convention."  
"The guests told me the same."  
"Same news from me," said Muchiko.  
Jessie came in the room, really upset. The worst feeling I ever had came crawling at the pit of my stomach. My sister, very angry, which meant that…oh crap.  
"You and Russia, please step out of the room. I would like to speak to my sister alone," said Jessie.  
"Excuse me, we were talking here," said Natasha. She didn't seem offended that my darling of a sister called her "Russia". Then again, it was better than whatever else words she had in her mind of calling her.  
Muchiko made a "don't worry" gesture with her hand as she and Natasha stepped out. I tried to make an expression to make sure they didn't leave, but the door was already closed. Jessie paused for a minute, gave me a small smile, and then smacked me. I stood there holding my cheek, stunned.  
"What the-"  
"I saw the news. Your best friend is dead, by freaking turning into a hill of salt and calling you a suspect? And now….this? At my big party?" said Jessie.  
''It wasn't my fault. Muchiko's sister-"  
''I really don't want to hear it.''  
"But let me explain."  
"I said NO!"  
"Please sis. Her sister is crazy. She threw some sort of purplish liquid at Rebecca…and she's now..."  
"I just saw the news and probably our parents did as well. Listen, if I could kill you, I would've done it four seconds ago before they do. Obviously enough, you're not supposed to be here and neither is this party I made. The cops are going to be here any second looking for you. I hate to say it, but you and your friends are on your own."  
"Jessie please….help me."  
She put a hand up and stared at me coldly. I was upset that she wouldn't listen to me. She was too angry to least hear anything. I was dragged into the living room where Natasha and Muchiko were waiting.  
"I want the both of you to leave", said Jessie.  
"Hey what's going on?" said Natasha.  
"Just please go."  
"What about Katherine?"  
"Katherine is staying here. She's probably going to be punished for about twenty years."  
Muchiko looked really upset. "Listen. We don't even know what's going on."  
"Out now!"  
Muchiko was really pissed. "Okay if you don't want to help us, fine. If you don't want us to help you clean this mess up, then that's fine too. But we haven't done anything wrong. I brought back your sister safe and sound like I promised. Don't make me prove it to you with force."  
I had a feeling that Muchiko had enough of jokes and that she was really serious. Uh-oh.  
Then she added: "We'll cover you if you cover us. Understand?"  
I looked at my sister. "Believe me; you better do what she says."  
Jessie looked confused and saw Muchiko's scary blue eyes. She was about to run when a knife flew almost hitting her face and she was pinned to the wall. Even she has knifes in her pockets? I thought she didn't want sharp pointy stuff in her pockets.  
"Whoa. Perfect aim there", said Jessie, not surprised.  
"What are you talking about? I missed," said Muchiko.  
Jessie was really frightened. "Okay fine. We'll hide the body."  
So we got to work cleaning. Jessie did obey Muchiko on one aspect: she did take the chicken out half an hour early. After all of the mess that ensued, it seemed like we weren't going to get all of the stuff cleaned in time, but it managed to work. Then Natasha and Muchiko were whispering something together. Muchiko went to her car, took out tape and rope, and both she and Natasha grabbed Jessie, tied her up to a chair, and locked her up in her own room upstairs. The three of us ate in my room; I just stood there looking at them dumbfounded.  
"What the heck was that all about?" I said.  
"What was what?" said Muchiko.  
Excuse me? She thinks she's smart huh?  
"Explain yourself. Or you'll eat my fist."  
"Very well. I don't want your sister to come between what we're trying to solve here," said Muchiko.  
"But she can be a big help."  
"No she will not. Believe me, I know what I'm talking about."  
"Well, I don't know what's with all of this privacy, but whatever."  
Natasha stood up.  
"Of course, we know that the hacking was a distraction. And-"  
Her cellphone vibrated. She quickly texted a returning message and continued.  
"And as you have claimed Muchiko, this is your sister's doing. That no good Harumo."  
"Its Harumi", I interjected.  
"Whatever. And as we know, she's randomly using the Bible for evil, which is not supposed to be used that way. How can we figure out her next target, or is she just trying to get our attention?"  
The thing I just noticed about Natasha is that she never even once questioned about her involvement with me and Muchiko. It was as if she was thinking: "Okay some creepy girl is after you, so fine" and just went along with it. I don't even know if all Russians are like that. I hope not; some scare me.  
Muchiko was pacing back and forth on my room thinking very hard. I was confused among everybody in the room. Why is Muchiko hiding this stuff from Jessie? She's the most trusting person I know. Then Muchiko stood up.  
"Okay, I'll tell you something about my sister," she said.  
"This better be worth popcorn," I said.  
"Well she really loves biology and astronomy. So she knows a lot about viruses and black holes and stuff."  
"I'm guessing that's why you don't like biology at all. Boy, you guys are real science freaks."  
"Anyway...she's actually out of school and spends her time making projects for people."  
"That sounds okay. Kind of like you tutoring."  
"Sounds okay? Well, take a gander on why she got kicked out."  
"Well why?"  
"She threatened to make a black hole during class one day. Scientists checked and said she kind of got it done, but it didn't suck up anything. She was placed on house arrest for two years. Claimed that she 'changed' and like I said, helps people with projects."  
"Only house arrest? I remember that day very well: Jessie and I were debating and we came to a conclusion that she's going to deserve the death penalty or at least ten years in prison."  
"Unfortunately, my father told the court to only let her stay at home. He claimed that she would die in prison. That is why he and I don't see eye to eye very often when I was at home. Also, that's the reason my mom sides with me whenever I mention that Harumi should've died when she had the chance."  
"So why the random revenge against you? Is it the way you dress?" said Natasha.  
Muchiko looked at her. "Well, it's something like that. I'm kind of the black sheep of the family. She tries to swallow up a school and gets praised for being the good daughter to my father, while I..."  
Muchiko paused and stared at the ceiling. Natasha and I looked at her. Something was missing from her past, something she wasn't telling us, something that caused her so much pain that it lost all of her respect to her father but...  
"Hey, what about your mom?" I asked.  
"She is a nice lady and of course I made a vow to respect whoever's stomach I stayed inside for 9 months," said Muchiko.  
"You know that's not the stomach right?" asked Natasha.  
"Well whatever. Anyway, she respected me for the way I am and I always treated her nicely."  
"So why didn't she come to your defense?"  
"She did. That's why I moved away. She helped me move out."  
"You mean escaped right?"  
Muchiko, by the look on her face, was really shaky. I grabbed her by the shoulder.  
"You better be certain these biblical attacks better be a phase that she's putting on," I said.  
"What do you mean?" she responded. "A phase?"  
"My guess is that she's doing this besides trying to get attention. Listen, I know you're trying your best to maybe get your sister in a good heart and all, but I really think that ship has sailed. Something in the past regarding your sister, or to a much longer extent your family, is tearing you up inside. If you don't want to tell us, that's fine; we respect your privacy. But whether you like us or not, Natasha and I are joining up with you in your quest," I said pointing at Natasha to which she gave me a cheerful nod. "We're your new family now okay?"  
Muchiko stared at me and began to cry. I never would've guessed someone as gothic like her would actually cry. She would always frown, rarely smile, and mostly scratch her head. Natasha gave her a hug and kissed her forehead. That calmed her down.  
"Okay. I promise I won't go into much detail," said Muchiko. "There are things that I would really like to leave on my head. I do thank you two however, that I have your support in this. And I wouldn't mind having some allies in this civil war of mine."  
"So are you letting go of my sister?"  
"Uhh, no."  
"What about you're tutoring job?"  
"I have enough money. I'll stay out of it for a while."  
"Okay then. It's a deal. We'll try and figure this thing out on our own without blowing anything out of proportion while helping you 'deal' with your sister," said Natasha. "Your fight is our fight."  
"Thank you. Both of you," she said.  
We both gave her a hug. I barely looked under at Muchiko's right sleeve. I saw plenty of scars on it. Something as big of a problem must've taken her to extreme levels just to do that. Now that the sad stuff was over, it was time to plan. It probably took a lot of trust from me and Natasha for us to convince Muchiko that we were on her side. I hoped that it didn't mean 'until death'.  
Natasha looked at me. "What are we going to do about your sister?"  
"Don't worry about her. Last time I checked, she wasn't the sister we would have to worry about," said Muchiko.  
I guess she was also good at guessing games. "Yeah, but it's my sister I'm worried about."  
"Like I said, no worries."  
"Okay fine."  
Natasha looked anxiously at her phone. She stared at it, and started tapping it, as though magically it would respond back. Looking very worried, Natasha asked me, "can I use your computer?"  
"Okay sure."  
She went to Google mail and sent someone an email. While I looked at Muchiko utterly confused, Natasha let off a straight "yes!"  
"What's going on?" I asked, now terrified.  
"C'mon. We're going to my friends' house. I have to get something there. It's for the three of us. It's a pretty nice surprise."  
"Huh? Already? You had this planned?" asked Muchiko very perplexed.  
"I'm sorry about that, but after the chaos that has been going on, I had to react fast."  
"Wait a second. We're not going to just leave Jessie tied up like this," I said. If my parents came home, see Jessie tied up and me completely disappeared, then it has all the makings of an abduction. If you wish to find me, just look for the very snowy maid and the fully red Russian. Simple enough right? Unless you put in the fact that the maid can kill you with dangerous liquids and the Russian is outright dangerous on her own, then they must be avoided at all costs.  
"Leave that to me," said Muchiko.  
She left the room, another argument and a lock of a key. After hearing the locked door, I really hoped my sister was okay  
"She said we can go," said Muchiko with a small smile.  
Great. Thanks for torturing my sister.  
So we got on the car and drove. Surprisingly enough, it wasn't far from my house, only like 3 miles and it was a pretty big place. Natasha went inside the house while Muchiko and I stayed in the car. I was scared to even ask what she did to my sister much less what else happened.  
"At least I can see your now in a good mood," I said.  
It was good to see her smile, but something in her face said that her being happy wouldn't last long.  
"I'm sorry if I seemed like a bother to your sister. I really don't mean to."  
"I know. I'm still bothered by the fact that Natasha hasn't changed out of her cosplay outfit."  
"Is that why you're so worried?"  
"Well, I'm just saying is all."  
Muchiko grabbed my cheeks and pinched them. "Believe me when I say that there are things out there worse than worrying about a cosplay outfit."  
I felt my face after that. My cheek was red and it was in pain.  
"So what are we doing here? And why can't we go inside?" I asked.  
"How should I know? All she mentioned was that it was a surprise."  
"Yeah well she told me tha-"  
Our conversation was interrupted by the sudden scream of Natasha as she ran out of the house.  
"GO! GO!" she screamed as she dived to the car. Seconds later, an armed female gunman came out shooting.  
"What was that all about?" asked Muchiko, in full panic.  
"Just keep driving! Anywhere!" screamed Natasha, almost splitting my ear drums.  
"We'll go back to my place! That had to be another distraction. I hope my sister's okay!" I shouted.  
Muchiko made the quick turnaround as bullets were flying through the car. I ducked low and began to get really frightened at how this whole ordeal was coming through. I was just expecting someone to just simply slap the cuffs on Harumi and problem solved. Of course it didn't work the last time; seeing as though her dad actually let her go scott free. Now I got this big sisterly rivalry going on and I'm in the thick of it. What a day this was turning out to be.  
We made it to my house, and ran upstairs where we saw that the locked in Jessie's room was tampered with. I feared the worst. I frantically knocked on the door loudly.  
"Jessie! Open up! Are you alright!?" I screamed.  
Muchiko came in and broke the lock with a knife. Jessie was gone. How wonderful. The window was opened as well. So somebody knew we were getting off the premises and decided to attack? I took one of knifes and placed it near Natasha's neck.  
"So you're behind this as well?" I said.  
"What are you talking about?"  
"How fun. We run into you of all people as you being the only cosplayer to challenge Harumi and all of a sudden my sister disappears."  
"Listen listen. I'm here to protect you."  
I backed away from her and approached Muchiko.  
"Yes?" she asked, her face looking bored as ever as if she knew what I was about to ask her.  
"All this wouldn't have happened if you ha-"  
"Hadn't locked up your sister," she finished for me. "Trust me, both of you, when I say that Harumi would've done all of this no matter where we placed Jessie."  
"Where YOU placed Jessie," I corrected her.  
I ran to take a peek at the window. There was no sign of any broken glass signaling a break in. So the obvious possibility hopefully was that Jessie escaped. That was nice, but there had to be a reason. Then we heard a not so friendly beeping sound.  
A good reason as anything.  
"Everybody out now!" yelled Muchiko.  
We all ran out of the house, which then the house that I've lived in all my life exploded. I stood there and busted in tears. Natasha, of course like a big sister, gave me a hug. If she was payed for every time she gave someone a hug, she would literally buy the presidency. Muchiko felt a little upset herself, like it was a bit of her fault. I knew it wasn't. No matter how much I had to believe myself that it was her fault, she wasn't the one who placed the bomb there. I sure hope not.  
Then she said, "C'mon, we'll go to my apartment."  
I nodded while Natasha got in the car. As soon as the car started, Natasha said, "Here you go ladies."  
She handed us three pieces of paper, one for each of us of course. I looked confused and so did Muchiko.  
"What's this?" I said very stupidly.  
"Airline tickets. Of course, they were purchased online...before my friend got killed in my face."  
"And where are we going?" asked Muchiko.  
Natasha smiled. Just by looking at her, I already knew the answer to Muchiko's question. I was even more vaguely upset at myself for not packing a heavy coat.  
We arrived at Muchiko's apartment. She was in no hurry to head upstairs. I ran ahead of her and waited by her door of the flower girl poster who was undoubtedly Harumi. Muchiko and Natasha took their time heading upstairs. She took out her small calculator and started pressing buttons. After a few seconds, the door hissed with a "click" telling us that the door was open. I went through first, slamming the door almost hitting Natasha's leg. I whirled around.  
"Okay. So let me get this straight: My house is blown up so now people think I'm dead, my sister's gone so I don't know where she is, somebody just killed a party guest, again using Biblical style, my parents don't even know what's going on, two of my friends are dead, and..." I suddenly stopped.  
"Go on," said Natasha.  
"We're going to Russia?"  
"Yay, you got it right," said Natasha clapping.  
I just finished analyzing this whole situation and I realized a couple of things. First: I was dead. Not to me, but to the rest of the crew that was searching for me. People think I came back to my house after the convention. Speaking of which, I still don't know how a bunch of cosplayers escaped a convention without anyone of them chasing us. Second: both my friends are dead. This aspect I'm still not over and probably I won't be until this whole thing is resolved. Third: my sister is gone. I tried to call her cellphone but it looks like she already disconnected the phone. I freaking miss her. Forth: two people got killed by a bible loving maniac. I read the bible, and I do agree with Natasha; it is the wrong way to use that book. And finally: how am I going to pack my clothes? Last time I checked, my house blew up, along with all my stuff. If Muchiko thinks she can dress me up as a little princess, well heck no.  
Muchiko got up and she and Natasha were about to leave.  
"Where are you two going?" I asked.  
"We're heading to my house. We leave at dawn. Be ready okay?" said Natasha.  
"Hey, we sleep here tonight in the living room," said Muchiko. "I'll give you my clothes. Don't worry, I have sweaters. Now behave yourself. I'll be back."  
Of course Muchiko had to take Natasha home and leave me here by myself. That was very smart. I slept in the polished cleaned floor. Everything was gone. All gone: Friends, family, school, houses. All because of some nutcase wants to try and kill her sister. I tried my best to sleep. I was upset. I was pissed. I was not in the mood for anymore games. I don't know what Harumi had against me or had in store for me, but I was ready. Nobody comes in my life and expect me to just sit there while two of my friends are dead. Believe me, she will extremely pay for all of that. I don't accept credit cards.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The good news: I did remember that I had my passport in my wallet that I did bring for the convention so that I did have enough to buy the two DVDs I wanted to get. So that part was fine. The bad news: I didnt get enough sleep. I didnt know if it was the heat or any other type of factor that contributed to it, but it was mostly coming out of Muchiko's locked room. When Muchiko left, she probably guessed that I would be really curious enough to try and see what was on the other side and so she put some sort of sleeping gas object on the door handle. I told her that I wasnt going to even bother checking at most and she did see tapes on her security camera, but she said that she put it there just in case. Man, what a way to trust a friend. Muchiko left in the morning to get Natasha. This time, she put in infra-red beams on the locked door to her room. For that reason, everything that I had to pack was placed in the living room for me: clothes, bathroom material, some snacks, and the usual. The thing that worried me was how is Muchiko going to sneak in her 'bad of goodies' -as I call them- through the airport? There's an obviously good shot that we're going to be needing them for this so called 'mission' as well. As I packed, I had an idea. I took out a quarter and tried my best to block out the beams like they do in the movies. Well Muchiko probably was one step ahead of me in that category. I flipped the quarter at the door in hopes of the lazer breaking the lock. The lazer whizzed past me and burned a hole at the closet door. I tried my best to patch it up. Muchiko came in and noticed that the door had a hole on it when she noticed a very and I mean very small smudge of black stain on it. She didnt question anything about it. All she said was, ''Coin trick dosent work.''  
''I'll remember that one'', I said.  
I went for the fridge to get something to drink and it was really like I saw last time: only bottled water. So, could it be that she was fat in her past? I didnt want to guess why.

I was all set to go as we would head to O'Hare airport in Chicago. As usual, it was windy, but a lot more windy than before. To me, that always told me that something bad was going to happen later in the day. I sure hoped I was wrong.  
For the trip, I wore a light red sweater that Muchiko gave me, with the Levi's pants I had on before and sneakers. Muchiko wore probably the same lolita dress except that it was all in black with black fingernails with the same white hair.  
If everything that she wore for one day was not at least part white, she would really go crazy.  
I called Muchiko a loon once, and I didnt want that to come true. Now Natasha is...very interesting. She had a 'power to Russia' t-shirt, glasses and a skirt.I thought that would surprise me but it turns out she packed her Grellcosplay outfit. Was there a convention I didnt know about? Or was this something that was everyday clothing? I tried my best just to ignore it, but I had to keep an eye on her this whole journey. As we were driving to the airport I asked Muchiko how she was taking her science stuff overseas.

This had to deserve a really good explanation.  
''I took everything and hid them plastically on my teeth. It dosent hurt, it looks invisible and my teeth wont get damaged either when I talk or eat or anything of that matter. Trust me, I have objects for every situation.''  
I will say that is a really good logical explanation. Now I'm glad I really did meet her.  
So we went to the airport while Muchiko placed a bomb in her car. I wasn't even going to ask where or why or how much is she going for. All she said was: ''A big surprise for whoever robs my Jeep Cherokee.''  
We got to the airport a hour before the flight and whizzed through the metal detector. Me and Natasha were designed to sit together, but Muchiko immediately wanted to sit away from us. Said she wanted to sleep.  
It has been a while since I've been on a plane. So immediately when I sat down at the window seat, I began getting really nervous. Natasha put her arm around me and gave me a massage.  
''Why are you so shaky? We havent left the ground yet?'', said Natasha.  
I was so tense because I have a bit of a fear of heights. And I do mean a bit. True, that it was already too late to change for the aisle seat, and true that it was stupid of me to accept the window seat in the first place, but I really enjoyed the view. There was a time of course of the carnival where the picture that Becky gave me that we rode the ferris wheel.I was in panic mode throughout the ride breathing heavily. Becky, who of course sat next to me, realized I was breathing heavily, told me to close my eyes and sing a small song in my head. After the ride was over, I was really scared. The song didn't help much because I thought of a song that Jessie liked, not by my own personal soundtrack. Natasha saw me being scared and she gave me a piece of gum.  
''Chew it. This will help you relax'', she said.  
It wasnt Russian gum, and I really wished it was. Over some five rows behind us, Muchiko was sitting next to a little girl. I always wanted to see how she would be as a babysitter. Natasha pulled me back to my seat, and told me that the plane was about to move. I fastened my seatbelt and stuffed the gum in my mouth. The plane was moving with nice turbulence. I stared at the picture that was around my neck of me and Becky. I closed my eyes and I felt her poking me. I gave a small smile. Then I heard Natasha's voice.  
''Hey hey wake up.''  
I looked at the window. Thinking of my friend made the fear disappear and of course combining that with chewing gum made it disappear a lot more.  
''Chewing gum always works'', she said.  
"Sit back. We'll be in this plane for a while."  
"How long?"  
"About 11 hours."  
other fear, jet-lag.  
Still I was curious as to what Muchiko was doing. I looked back and I saw that Muchiko was showing the little girl -possibly 11 years old- a textbook. From what I saw, the book was very much too old for the little girl; mostly college material. What the heck was Muchiko explaining? Natasha let me through as I pretended to head for the restroom. I glanced past them and she was explaining the Periodic table to her.  
Are you kidding me?  
I didnt care at all about big stuffed up chemistry when I was her age. I headed to the restroom to actually give myself to think. I also heard that crying your feelings out is a good way to maintain yourself healthy. I couldnt do that. I took a deep breath and relax as I thought about what had happened to me in the past 5 days: from the day before my birthday to how I got on this plane. People died in my eyes, in my arms, and I died inside and outside. I could already tell my parents were grief stricken over the loss of their two daughters.  
Where in the world was my sister?  
Since someone put a bomb on my house, I have no idea how she escaped in the first place. Why does this girl Harumi, want to kill her? They're called sisters for a reason. Now my two friends are dead and there was nothing I could do to bring them back and I'm also going to uncharted territory with a science tutor and our translator.  
Man, the surprising thing about all of this is that I'm still alive.  
I got out and glanced again and saw Muchiko showing her some pictures. I'm thinking "thats nice." I went back to my seat as I saw Natasha was really in depth reading some random magazine about house shopping. How cute. I looked back at Muchiko and saw as while the girl was looking out the window, she slipped something in the girls' drink of something she took out of her teeth. Now I was frightened. I went back over there but she was already drinking it.  
"Excuse me", I said to Muchiko. "But what exactly are you doing?"  
"What?"  
"I saw what you did."  
"Oh relax."  
Muchiko looked at the girl and said covering the textbook: "Say to me the last line of the periodic table."  
"Which one?" she asked.  
"The one with the new elements."  
She cleared her throat and began to say them one by one. Muchiko showed me the line to prove that she was.  
Then she whispered , "I gave her a bit of helpful thinking powder. Now if you don't mind, please return to your seat. The flight attendant is trying to get by."  
I went back to my seat where Natasha was, sleeping. Muchiko was right: she was prepared for anything, even to make a little girl happy and smart.I decided to go to sleep as well, since of course waking up early wasnt helping my brain stay awake.  
I had a dream that I didnt want to have. I was back at the convention.  
Back to the outside area.  
Back to where it all happened.  
Only this time, I saw that Harumi was grabbing me and Becky was on the other side with Muchiko and Natasha. It was a bit of the same dialogue that transpired before. I felt the coldness that was the beaker holding the purple liquid close to my ear. This time, I took it from her in a struggle, threw it at her cohorts and made a break for it. Then I heard a gunshot...  
I screamed as I woke up, then I fainted.  
I woke up and felt myself lying down in a bed in a area of first class, by myself. The last thing I saw was Natasha getting spooked when it looked as though my screamed had woken her up. I didnt know why none of my friends came to see me. My thoughts in my head were answered when I heard a huge argument behind. I tried my best to ignore it, when the little girl that sat with Muchiko came in and sat next to me.  
"Oh, hello", I said.  
She didnt speak or move.  
"Uhhh, thank you for comforting me," I said.  
She was a short blond haired girl with a ponytail and what looked like a brown schoolgirl outfit. What in the world are these people doing? Dressing up in something skinny heading to one of the coldest places? Man, at least they got more guts than I do. Then she drops a doll next to me.  
"Uhhh, thank you. I'm sure it will make me feel better", I said.  
She walked off. Now that was awkward. At least the doll was pretty. A blond doll with spiky hair...that hurts!  
I didnt bleed, but I looked through it, and the hair were actually little knifes. I got up and ran through the curtains. I saw the girl head back to the seat and Natasha and Muchiko holding me back. I was showing them the doll with the knifes disguised as hair but they pushed me down, saying that the girl didnt do anything wrong. I really began to differ their own explanation. I pushed them both out of my way and ran after the girl. Two flight attendants grabbed me and threatened to throw me off the plane. I spat at them. A huge big mistake. I was thrown out...  
''Hey little one wake up'', said Natasha. ''We're landing.''  
I rubbed my eyes and felt like I was hit on the head with a giant anvil. I was totally confused about the dream that I had and I had a massive headache. Then I realized I had to see that little girl. But I couldnt get up until the plane landed. So I had to wait, my hands shaking, tension mounting, waiting to approach this girl to see why the heck she attacked me in a dream. It's a silly idea to actually ask, but it was worth the risk.  
Really worth it. I looked at the window. I saw the ever famous red square and those red buildings that looked like castles. The only time I've seen Russia was in textbooks and online stuff. All I knew from history was two evil geniuses named Lenin and Stalin wanted to change the country into something even more diabolical. Then the wall fell with their plans in '89. I know that everything has changed and things are normal now in the country. Of course nothing isn't normal with the things that are going on now with me and my beloved crew.  
As the plane landed, I unhooked my seatbelt and ran to where Muchiko was. I asked the girl if she had a doll. She showed me the same one that was on my dream. I felt the hair and it was soft.  
''What was that about?'', said Muchiko getting up from her seat.  
''Sorry. Just a little worn out from the plane ride.''  
I went back to Natasha who helped me with my suitcases.  
''Hey Natasha, thanks for helping me with the flight stuff'', I said.  
''Hey its no problem'', she said.  
''Thanks Jessie'', I said without realizing it.  
I panicked. Natasha didnt look upset at all. I took my suitcase and ran out the plane door. I didnt know what came over me in saying that but I was really really scared. I was in a country that of course I knew nothing of the language and I was running from my new friend because I called her by my sister's name.  
Yay, go me.  
I didnt even bother asking for help, but I did find somewhat of the airport doors and I was finally outside. I was really glad that I was wearing a sweater. It was a very happy 36 degrees with a chill breeze. Thank goodness it wasnt snowing. I felt arms grab me from behind. Of course it was the warmth of our translator.  
''I am greatly honored you have made me an honorary older sister'', said Natasha. Muchiko was right behind her.  
''So are we going to just stand here, or are we going to find your friend?'', she said.  
Natasha hailed a taxi. Even taxis in Russia can carry a whole bunch of suitcases which amazed me. Muchiko poked me.  
''Hey, so what was that crazy interrogation you gave that little girl about? She was really nice", she asked me.  
''Wait what was that thing you slipped on her drink?''  
''Well, it was a brain enhancer.''  
''O.k. Nevermind.''  
''So again, what was that random interrogation about?''  
''Just a random dream I had.'' It was kind of really difficult to explain. I dont think anyone would even explain starting a dream where you hold a doll that almost tries to kill you.  
Yeah, that isn't healthy.  
We arrived at the Peking hotel. Natasha left us there while she went to go looking for her friend. It was nice of her to pay for the hotel room. Muchiko wanted to do it, but she wouldn't even know the currency or even where to begin to ask. Muchiko stared at me and asked, ''so, please tell me what the dream was about.''  
I told her about both dreams. She was really astonished.  
''I dont know what to say. The girl was really nice to me. As for the other dream, it's a nice concept for a switcheroo.''  
''No it isnt.''  
''Well anyway, I wouldnt worry about it that much. It's not as if a dream could kill you.''  
I didnt know about that one very well, since I wasnt going to stay in a dream state to even find out. I looked out the window to calm myself. And it is sure calm to have a very enjoying view of everything. Its also great to know that your in a very historical country hoping that you wont die and be a part of that history. I was worried that our translator actually left us here. So much for being a hired bodyguard. As Muchiko was checking out Russian t.v, I looked around the room, when there was a knock on the door.  
''Wait, dont answer the door. There isnt a peep hole here'', said Muchiko.  
She gave the door a few knocks. The person outside did the same. Muchiko looked through the keyhole in hopes of getting a better view of the person's clothing. Then the person outside the door spoke.  
''Hey in there. Let me in.''  
It didnt sound like Natasha.  
Muchiko took out something that was under her tongue and pushed it through a little straw in her pocket. The person behind the door gave a little scream.  
''See? Nothing here should bother us at all.'', said Muchiko.  
I looked at her with a bit of fear in my eyes. She was more than creepy, she was scary. Now she keeps things under her teeth and tongue? I dont even know how she is able to talk, let alone still be alive.  
''How are you able to still talk?'', I said.  
''I told you before,it's made of a thin plastic that fits my teeth like invisible braces. And yes its true, I did used to wear braces when I was younger.'', said Muchiko.  
''So what happened?''  
''I fixed my teeth my own damn self.''  
''Nice. But how did whoever find us, find us?''  
''So we got a random spy here.''  
''No no. It couldnt be. Natasha couldnt-''  
The door busted open, and a bunch of guys in coats came in with guns aimed at us. Followed closely by the little girl from the plane.  
''What were you saying before of dreams not killing me?'', I said to Muchiko.  
''Well, what I meant to say is that inside dreams they cant kill you. Only in real life.''  
''So, who are these people?''  
''Why you asking me? I dont know.''  
''Well, you know that girl.''  
''Just a plane ride.''  
''Well there you go. You KNOW her.''  
''Quiet!'', said the little girl. ''Harumi was right. You girls are nothing but small fry.''  
Wonderful. Now we were being traced all over by Harumi.  
''Wait a second'', said the girl. ''Weren't there three of you?''  
I didnt know if this was supposed to be some sort of trick question. I was afraid to answer. Muchiko was really upset. ''How did she find us?''  
''I'm not telling'', the little girl said in perfect english. Probably she wasnt Russian at all. ''Now, where's your other friend?''  
Muchiko took me by the arm.  
''Hey Kathy'', she asked me. ''What time is it?''  
She was clearly showing me her watch in front of my face. And by the look of her watch, it was changed to Russian time, which was 8 p.m. Also, it had a obvious red button on it, which I pressed. It started beeping tremendously. Muchiko quickly hooked it off her arm and threw it at the little group of Russians which turned out to be a little explosion of smoke.  
''Time to exit, stage left'', said Muchiko.  
She took me by the arm and took a towel and we crashed through the window into the Moscow night. Well, it was pretty obvious that my premonition was coming true, and I was going to die.  
''Hang on o.k? Dont slip off'', said Muchiko.  
Easier said than done. It was less that 35 degress and I had nothing warm on. How was I supposed to get prepared for a crazy stunt like this? I'm scaling a hotel wall, in freezing night weather, and I'm getting shot at from above. You gotta love how this government works. They do things that are just simply amazing. I hope I get a chance to live to see the rest of the sights because I was raised under the assumption that chance can't last forever. Hopefully my chance can last a whole lot more than 10 minutes.  
''You alright there behind me?'', said Muchiko.  
''Do I bloody look alright?!'', I said.  
I didnt show the look on my face to her, but I was cold and filled with tears. Muchiko was the only person I could've relied on that wasn't trying to shoot me, but I didnt know what to expect from her. Almost in everything she does, turns out to be a surprise to me. I wanted to try and get out of this nightmare and run back home, but both my home and my sister were gone. I just had to stick with it until the got to the floor. Muchiko grabbed my arm and froze for half a second. She kind of figured that we were without our translator and we didnt know a thing about the area. Also, Natasha didnt have a clue of what was going on and without her knowing anything, she might as well be walking into a ambush at the hotel room. Muchiko looked around to see if anyone saw us. I dont know who would consider looking at a white haired asiangoth girl with a random brunette from Chicago being weird. We both ran to what looked like a sweet shop. People just stared at us, and seemed like they were whispering insults at us. They didnt look as though they knew how to dress. I know that me and Muchiko can give them real fashion tips.  
''Well what do we do? You dont have Natasha's number?'', I said. I was now more frightened of the people in the store than the guys with guns. I didnt know the language, I didnt know what they were saying, and I had an odd feeling that we were going to get arrested for idling in a candy shop.  
''We're here in Moscow in less than 2 hours and we're going to Russian jail. I just know it.'', I said frightened.  
''We're not going anywhere'', said Muchiko very calmly.  
If shes calm in this crazy situation, then she better have something up her sleeve. She rolled up her sleeves and took out two of her special knives.  
Man, now I know she has psychic powers.  
''Listen up!'', said Muchiko at the confused customers. ''We're taking this candy shop hostage!''

Oh boy. What in the world is she planning? I guess she sniffed too much of that neon gas today.  
I figured that the crew that was chasing us before wouldnt happen to look for us in a candy shop, and that I knew that Muchiko wanted to create a diversion, but what good is a diversion if the people your busy distracting dont even know your language? Besides, Muchikowasnteven doing a good job. I dont even know what Muchiko defines as being a good job in the first place. Oh well, I was afraid to find out as she grabbed me once again and we jumped by the cashier area through a back door.  
"Where are we going Whip?" I said.  
"Do not call me by my english name understand, or else I will feed you to the Siberian wolves", said Muchiko. "Also, I dont know."  
As luck would have it, Natasha pulled up in a luxury Sedan driven by someone I'm guessing was Anya.  
"Get in hurry!", she shouted.  
We threw ourselves to the sedan.  
"Wait! Our stuff!" I screamed.  
"Dont worry, its in the back", she said.  
Gun shots whizzed past us.  
"_Poluchit' nasmimoteh, krivopolitsyeĭskih, ne tak li_?" (Get us past those crooked cops, will you?), said Natasha to her friend.  
The girl nodded. "_Konechno_." (Sure thing), she said.  
The girl kept on driving. Muchiko and I just looked at each other confused, as if we both arrived in Russia just 5 minutes ago. We were clear across the city when Natasha finally turned to us.  
"You guys o.k?"  
"How did you know we were hiding?", I said.  
"You guys werent in your room. So we figured you werent far."  
"That girl, from the plane. She was behind this whole mess.", said Muchiko.  
Natasha began. "_Malen'kayadevochka s kukloi' daetim v chernyĭmagistranauk .Dazheonanemogostanovit' yee_." (Little girl with doll gives them problems. The girl in black is a master of science. Even she couldnt stop her.)  
Anya only laughed.  
"Hey what was that about?" said Muchiko.  
"Told her about the situation. Just had to laugh", said Natasha.  
"Why is she laughing? It was dangerous." I said.  
"Thats how she is. She laughs at danger."  
Wow. I hope not that many people are like her.  
We arrived in a farmhouse on the outskirts of Moscow. The farmhouse didnt look as much like a rich person's farmhouse. I will admit that it was kind of big, but not as big as I hoped. Outside of it, there was only a small barn. Obviously it was night so there were no animals around and thankfully we werent chased. The first room we entered was the kitchen. Basic but small kitchen. It looked as though the dishes were washed already. Nothing suspicious there.  
''You two will sleep in her room. Me and Anya will sleep in the living room'',  
said Natasha to me and Muchiko.  
''Hey whats the deal with Anya?'', I said to Natasha.  
Now that we were out of the car, I had a really good look at her. Blue eyes, blond hair, and a really good built. By the way she looked; my guess is that she can easily lift up her Sedan no problem. It didnt look as though her and Natasha were twins, but she would always look at Natasha with a 'what did you say' type look. They looked as though they were friends for a long while.  
''She dosent know any english'', said Natasha.  
''So is she o.k with us staying?''  
''Of course. I told her the crazy situation about you two and the creepy Harumo, and she gladly accepted you girls staying here.''  
Muchiko stepped in. ''Do you know why Anya is targeted by Harumi, well besides her being a former KGB member?''  
''Well, I'm honestly not sure.''  
''Wait a second'', I interjected. ''How in the world did Harumi even track us  
down in Russia? I mean, the only reason she could've followed us is that when we  
brought the plane tickets...''  
I paused. Muchiko looked at me and frowned. Natasha was a bit in shock. Anya,  
who didnt know anything of what I was saying, followed Natasha's shocked looked with a  
shocked looked of her own.  
''She freaking hacked my computer?'', I said.  
I didnt even complain that much since my computer was literally in ashes at the moment. ''I had birthdays saved in there.''  
Muchiko gave me a hug. Now we had to be careful of everything we did. Then Muchikothought of something.  
''Wait a second girls. In case we have a tracking device anywhere in our clothes.''  
Uh oh. I had an odd feeling I knew where this was going. Now Muchiko was getting more crazy with every passing 10 minutes.  
''We all must strip of our garments'', said Muchiko.  
Thus proving my theory.  
I wasnt too fond of taking my clothes off in front of strangers. I tried to protest.  
''How can you be so certain of that?'', I said.  
''Well we are getting followed, so they might as well placed a device somewhere on us'', said Muchiko.  
''Are you just guessing or are you absolutely certain?'', said Natasha.  
''I'm serious.''  
Anya didnt say a word.  
''Well I dont think she has to do anything. She's new here so I'm positive that  
Harumi hasnt found her yet'', said Muchiko.  
We both stared at Anya. I knew nothing about her, except that she was at least nice to us to let us stay at her farmhouse for the time being after getting our hotel room raided by a 11 year old who was hired by Harumi.  
'' .k we'll do it, right Natasha?'', I said.  
Muchiko was already naked in front of us and started searching her black lolita dress. I covered my face with my hands. Yes, I am that type of girl who does get jealous when someone has a bigger and better 'figure' than I do. I can never get over that. Anya did the same thing. I guess shedosent like seeing naked bodies as much as I do. I did a little glance at Muchiko. It really did surprise me a bit that she was skinny. Natasha laughed.  
''Oh be quiet'', said Muchiko. She searched, but found nothing. With a relieved look on her face, she began to put her clothes back on. What made this strange was that this was all happening in the small cramped kitchen and not the big living room.  
''You next Kathy'', ordered Muchiko.  
''Me? No no I cant.''  
Anya grabbed me softly and began to give me a pat down. After a few minutes, she shook her head.  
I'm pretty happy at least someone understood how I felt about this ordeal. Natasha opened up her suitcase and took out her Grellcosplay outfit. She and Anya felt through the clothing. They also found nothing. So Muchiko's guess was wrong but I've gotta hand it to her; she's really tough in the sense of being the only person stripping naked for us.  
And none of us enjoyed that show at all.  
So how in the world did they keep finding us? Muchiko walked around the kitchen in a deeply tight circle around us. Anya stared at her very sternly.  
''What are you looking at? Can you let me think please?'', said Muchiko.  
''O.k girls. As I said earlier, you guys sleep in the living room, while me and Anya will sleep in her room. Unfortunately, she only has one bedroom'', said Natasha.  
I gave her a salute, while Anya did the same for me.  
So far, she's really nice.  
I took Muchiko to the living room. This was more bigger in volume than the kitchen. There was a lot of toy dolls surrounding it, with cable t.v on our left side. The couch was gone of course to make room for the two beds that were there. There was a grandfather clock and a parrot on top of it. Anya said no word about having a parrot, but then again, she understands no english. So even if something did happen to me at night or to Muchiko and I complained, she would just look confused, smile, and pet the bird. Lucky for us the bird was asleep. Muchiko stared at it, as if she was going to plan an experiment on it.  
''Hey heydont hurt the bird. It's just peacefully sleeping there'', I said.  
Muchiko sighed. ''I havent done any experiments for so long. I'm feeling a bit rusty.''  
Who could blame her for being bored a bit? I was bored, but I wasnt that bored that I would want to try a experiment on a sleeping animal. Muchiko went to the kitchen, but I pulled her down. She crashed on top of me.  
''Your going to bed o.k?'', I said to her.  
''Well fine'', she said. ''I just wanted to have fun with some forks and spoons.''  
''You will not dirty up Anya's utensils understand?''  
She frowned. ''Yes ma'am.''  
Muchiko looked at me while sitting on the floor.  
''Listen, I'm as worried as you are about all of this. I mean, even I'm confused as to what's going on and what Anya's deal is in all of this mess.''  
I was confused as well, but I really wanted to get some sleep.  
''Hey where's the bathroom?'', I asked Muchiko.  
''How should I know? Check upstairs.''  
She rolled back to sleep. I tiptoed upstairs very quietly. There were like four doors. I've seen game shows mostly all of my life, so I was certain I would guess right. I shut my eyes, spun around once, and pointed at a door that was at the end of the hallway. I opened it carefully and I was right. Thank goodness.  
After that, I went back to the dark living room and almost tripped over a table. That was just what I needed. I was completely certain that tomorrow wouldnt be as much fun as today was. All in all this felt like a crazy role playing game. Except there were no classes or friendly townspeople with one sentence dialogue or even shops to buy weapons. We were four girls: the witch, the heroine, the nerd and the mute. And I really needed some money now.  
A sword and shield dosent seem like a bad idea to carry tomorrow.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Waking up for some pancakes was something I was really looking forward to, and

I wasn't surprised that Muchiko wasn't eating. She still has that 'I don't think pancakes increase intelligence' motto. When Natasha woke up, I had to ask about the parrot.

''What, did it poop on you?'', said Natasha.

''Uhh no it didn't bother us while we were sleeping'', I said.

''Well, it's my parrot.''

''How did you randomly get a parrot here in Russia?''

''I ordered one for her birthday.''

''What's its name?''

''Its-.''

We were interrupted by Muchiko trying an experiment with a fork. She tried to burn it to see the compound change on a pancake. She even had a little thermometer.

''Geez, now what are you doing?'', asked Natasha.

''Isnt this fascinating? It just increased by 150 degrees'', said Muchiko.

I just shook my head. Muchiko, from what I can already tell, really missed her belt.  
''Why dont you have them shipped over here? I'm sure that would be o.k with Anya.'', I said. Natasha spoke with Anya, which she happily nodded.

''See? Your o.k now'', I said.  
But then I realized that Muchiko didnt have many friends other that the ones that were in the kitchen.

Now I was more stumped than usual. I looked at Muchiko. She had that gleam in her eye.  
''O.k. It shall be done. And I already know who to ask'', said Muchiko happily. ''If only there was a long distance phone around here.''  
''Well I had plans for us to go to the mall'', said Natasha. ''There is a place that you can

make long distance calls.''  
''O.k cool.''.  
I was a little frightened. After the past couple of weeks since I woke up of getting surprised of my sister tackling me in bed while I had that weekend fever up to today, I didnt even feel like a normal walk to the mall would even be considered safe.

What if a sniper just randomly started shooting?  
''Uhh, I would like to stay here. I'll keep an eye on the parrot'', I said.  
''Oh you and your jokes'', said Natasha. ''The parrot can take care of itself.''  
I saw that it was still sleeping.  
''Well, when it wakes up. Besides, why do you wanna stay here?''

''Probably still shaken up over all of the stuff thats happened'', said Muchiko. ''Now c'mon. I wanna make that phone call.''  
Natasha and Anya were deliberating. It looked more as though they were arguing. I stepped to the side where Muchiko was. She was busy painting her nails, not paying any mind at all. Under all of that scientific demeanor, she did act like a regular girl. And I can tell by the look on her eyes, that she was nervous and skeptical. Here I am thinking that she

could use anything for anything like MacGyver, but she felt really lost.  
So much for that thought.  
I guess shewasnt a fan of home economics. The arguing stopped and it seemed as though Natasha and Anya reached a argument. Natasha nodded and turned to me.  
''O.k. Before we leave, she has to feed her animals. She was a bit scared that you might screw that up.''  
''No I wont. I'm o.k with animals'', I said. ''Be that as it may, here are her small set of rules. Real simple: if you wanna eat, only make a sandwich.''

''O.k.''  
''Only leave things plugged for 20 minutes at a time.''  
''Huh?''  
''And she has cable, but have fun understanding it."  
''O.k, but what about her parrot?''  
Natasha looked up at the grandfather clock where the parrot was stationed.  
''Oh you mean Anna?''  
I looked at it very carefully. It really didnt look female to me.  
''Why Anna?'', I said. ''Named after a Polish/Japanese singer am I correct?'', said Muchiko.  
We stared at her. Anya stepped out to the back of the farmhouse.  
''How in the world did you know that?'', said Natasha.  
''Just a random honest guess'', said Muchiko.  
Anya came back 15 minutes later and the trio left..  
''You take care of yourself o.k? My cell number's on the fridge in case of anything'', said Natasha and closed the door.  
I relaxed on the couch and turned on the t.v to a channel what looked like a soap opera. Now this is something I'm glad to be going to school in the morning. I've always hated them with a passion.  
Since I was alone in the house, I might as well check out Anya's room. I went upstairs and saw that it was locked. I figured as much. I went outside to at least see how it looked during the daytime. I was just in luck also; it was snowing. I saw that a little path was shoveled through to what was the car before. I took one foot to the unshoveled part of the snow: I almost tripped and fell and saw firsthand that the snow reached barely below my waist. Now that's some insane snow. I looked around at the area behind the farmhouse which was only the small barrn. I didnt even want to bother how Anya got to the barn with slippers on. Shaking my head, I went back inside. I had an idea. I took the burnt fork upstairs and tried the lock in Anya's room. It worked. I still dont know how Muchiko knew to make something that would be designed for future use. She's a good version of insane in my book. I opened the door and looked inside. There was a bunch of band posters, a desktop, a bedroom, and what looked like a nightlamp. I opened the closet. There were some clothes there but not much. I opended a black bag and I saw a set of guns.  
Geez, so much for that stuff.  
I felt really cold inside as I thought I heard something behind me and it wasnt from the opened window. I made a quick turn and saw that it was nothing. I gave a little sigh of relief. I also noticed something flashing on top of me. I slowly looked at the ceiling and saw a red light on a beacon flashing like a police siren.  
''Crap'', I said to myself.  
I bolted out of the room and closed the door. The door locked itself back in place. That was creepy.  
A bag full of guns? I really got to know who these people talk to in their daily lives.  
As I went downstairs, Anna the parrot started to awake. Neither Natasha or Anya gave me any instructions on how to feed her. Anna flew to another purch in the living room and sat on top of a cabinet and began to eat what looked like crackerson a basket.  
''Dont eat so much'', I told it.  
It didnt talk back or repeat what I said.  
So much for being a trained wild animal.  
I was about to reach for the fridge when a car pulled up. I had a strong feeling it wasnt my trio of loonie friends. No matter what country it is, going to a mall for a girl should probably take the whole day, not a couple of hours. I looked out the window and saw a Buick, not a Sedan pull within 40 yards from the farmhouse. The little 11 year old girl came out of it, followed by the same cohorts as before.  
''Damn'', I said.  
I ran to Anya's room and tried the lock again but I guess it dosent work twice. I got the paper from the fridge that had Natasha's phone number. I threw a knife purposely missing Anna as it flew on the kitchen table. I grabbed a knife, put the phone on my pocket, grabbed the parrot and locked myself in the bathtub. I was breathing heavily as I placed the parrot on my knee. I dialed the number.  
''Hello?'', said a voice on the other side of thephone.  
''Hello Natasha?''  
''Huh? Who's this?''  
I was confused.  
''Its me Kathy.''

The girl laughed on the other side of the phone. I obviously recognized the laugh like it was a regular everyday thing.  
''Harumi? What the-'', I began but was interrupted.  
''Looking for your friend? You've served your purpose. You may die now'', said Harumi and hungup.  
I was really scared. I petted Anna as Anna walked around my head in a happy mood. I didnt know why she was happy. People I didnt know want me tortured to try and ask about Natasha and then probably kill me.  
Not even the parrot could tell me how to deal with these guys.  
I focused on the door and opened it slowly ajar. I saw the girl and others heading up to my direction. I closed the door and saw a small window on top of the bathtub. It was a bit small, but I hoped that I did fit. I pushed the curtains aside and grabbed the window with my left hand. Anna helped me pick up my other arm by biting my sleeve and helping me lift it up.  
At least it did something useful.  
I clipped the window open and Anna flew out. This is one reason where me being short came to be helpful in a life or death situation.

I landed in a freezing snow pile. Anna landed on my shoulder. I nodded to her and she nodded back.  
At least it understands english.  
I tiptoed to the window of the living room. There was no one. My guess is that they were probably upstairs trying to break the lock. Of course, I knew that I was outnumbered. Even with a mute parrot, it still wouldnt make a difference. So, by checking if I wasnt getting spotted, I ran. Where? I didnt even have a clue at all where I was heading. I knew one fact: it had to be away from the farmhouse. So I went to a nearby forest and waited it out. I noticed that Anna was trying to show me something ahead of the twigs. I saw what looked like a warehouse.  
Probably the place where Anya gets her big bucks.  
I started to turn that way when the Buick actually left. So I went back to the farmhouse. It was all left in shambles. Anna flew around the living room as I saw glass dolls that were smashed on the floor. I ran to Anya's room to see a bunch of cracks on the keyhole, but nothing of it. It was firmly locked. Probably Anya had a special key for it. I started to sweep the floor as best I could. Now I was puzzled: how did Harumi know the number, or better yet, how did she find out we were here? I was scared that Muchiko was right; there must've been a tracking device on me. So I stripped out of my clothes. Anna sat and watched. Meh, like birds could understand how a naked person looks like. I looked closely at my clothes until I found nothing. Anna swooped down and grabbed my hair. ''Hey get off!'', I screamed.

Anna got off of me and I heard sort of like a pindrop falling. I felt around the kitchen floor until something poked my finger. It was a very small pin, with a small blinking cursor on top of it. How in the world did Harumi get that on my hair? I was really underestimating her.

I crushed the tracker and just stood at the kitchen looking really confused. I now had to know what Harumi wanted and if it was really worth it. I had to try and break through to Anya's room. Turns out it was already opened. ''Damn'', I thought. The first thing I checked was the closet and sure enough the bag of guns was gone. I was about to search the drawers when Anna came squawking at me. She flew downstairs and I of course followed. I really hoped the bird could come up with a good reason to take me out of a room where I was close enough to solving this random mystery. The t.v was turned on. It showed a news segment (sort of), of a reporter covering a story that was taking place in what seemed like...a mall. Good job bird. I guess I owe you for that one. I ran back and closed the door. The parrot looked confused. ''Hey, your watching the house now. Dont let any strangers come in alright?'', I said to the bird. The bird simply nodded and just stood at the kitchen table, ready topounce on whoever came through the door; be it friend or foe. I went outside into the cold and I realized a couple of things: I didnt know where the mall was, I didnt know how to get the proper transportation to the mall -even though I got my license and I was pretty good in getting around anywhere-, and also I didnt know any Russian. Just peachy. I ran to the barn. Cows, chickens, pigs...and a horse. I honestly had no choice. I was about to get on, when Anna came flying over my head. I knew that streak of green anywhere. My question I was about to ask was how did it break through a window to find me, but of course I wasnt going to get a response. Also, I didnt know how a tropical bird could survive the harsh winters here. It was spring obviously, and snowing, so that was what worried me. ''Do you know where the mall is?'', I said to Anna. Well, it was worth a shot to ask. It just flew around like it was drunk or something. Then I had an idea. ''Lead the way!"I shouted. Anna began to fly as I tried my best to make the horse move. It didnt. I know I've seen it done in those western movies and some documentaries, but actually getting it done, was a completely different story. So I started grabbing the rope and doing little slaps to it like you'resupposed todo. Nothing. I looked ahead to see Anna waiting there in the snow. ''Screw this'', I said and smacked the horse from behind its head. It got up with a jolt and we were off, holding on to the horse for dear life and following Anna into the wilderness and hopefully into the city. Somehow, I knew we was going to return to the factory near the farm one of these days. As me, the horse, and Anna were approaching Moscow, I realized that finding the mall was going to be easy. Just follow the police cars. I sure hoped that whatever was going on in the mall was a whole lot more interesting than a girl riding a horse following a parrot. Hopefully no tickets for speeding. The mall was close and it looked as though there was a standoff. Adding the big crowd that was on the streets, the action and commotion was happening a block away. ''Hey you on the horse'', said a familiar voice. I whirled around with Anna parched on my shoulder. It was Natasha with Muchiko. ''Hey girls. Nice day for horse riding right?'', I said to a worried Natasha. ''Anya's been captured! Why didnt you call me before?'' ''Harumi hacked the phone line. I couldnt reach you.'' Muchiko got on the horse. ''Anya's up ahead'', she said. ''Natasha, see if you can go around and corner her.'' ''Right'', she said and left. ''O.k smarts. Only problem is, there's no way through'', I said to Muchiko. ''Then we'll just have to make one.'' She went to the front of the horse, with me and Anna shoved to the back of it. I held on to Muchiko as the horse picked itself up and began to be a small bulldozer among the Russian crowd. ''Gee, your pretty good at this'', I said. ''Me?Nonsense. This is just excercise." The place that Muchiko was referring to when she was saying ''up ahead'' was the famous touristy destination of Red Square. It was far, but it took a good 3 minutes for Muchiko and me to get there. I think secretly she ran some horse races in her alone time. When we got there, Muchiko took out a little book and explained to the police, in fluent Russian, of what we were doing there. The cop nodded and we headed to the middle of the square. We saw the little girl holding a knife to Anya's throat. Dont ask how she was able to reach her that way, but she was. "Hey let her go", I said. Anna perched off my shoulder and was flying towards the girl. Then she fell to the ground hard and didnt move. ''ANNA!'', screamed Anya. "Anyone tries to move, they will be shot, understand?'', said the girl. ''What do you want? I can play hefty well better than my sister'', said Muchiko. The little girl laughed. Muchiko whipped out a small knife. ''Careful. You saw what happened to the bird'', I said. ''Andthere are cops present. Dont forget her secret area of snipers'', I said. And I was right. Within all of her black dress, there was a red dot pointed at her heart. ''Why does Harumi want her dead? What will she gain from the blood of an innocent person?'', I said. ''Innocent?Her? Hardly unlikely'', said the girl. I saw Natasha come to our right to where we were; Muchiko still on top of the horse. ''The sniper to the right is disposed of'', she whispered to us. The red light was off on Muchiko'slolita outfit. That gave her the opening she needed. ''Good bye little one!'', said Muchiko. I was going to try and stop her; for the obvious reason, she was only 11 years old. I didnt know that Muchiko was really a bit cold-blooded that way. I was too late. The knife was in the air, but it too was shot down like the bird. ''Natasha, you clearly stated that the sniper was gone'', I said. ''That wasnt the sound of a sniper shot going off'', said Muchiko. I was half relieved that the knife didnt go through the girls skull and half not relieved. When I saw who shot the knife down however, that relief went out the window. Harumi appeared with what appeared to be a hundred male and female teenagers. ''So sis, trying to get rid of my friends so easily?'', said Harumi. All I was waiting for was the RPG battle music, which there was none. ''Leave her out of this. This is between me and you alright?'', said Muchiko. ''Hardly likely. This is starting to get interesting.'' ''Why do you want her dead?'', I said out of line. ''Thats why'', she replied pointing behind us from afar. There were people there who I assume, were in total support for Anya to get out of this situation alive; and there was the proof, a big rainbow flag. I shook my head in extreme disbelief. The biggest piece of the puzzle was put into play right in front of my eyes. I couldnt believe that this whole Harumi nonsense was all placed on that rainbow flag. I stepped forward. ''Harumi! So this, this is the reason why you want to get rid of her? Because..because she's...a Lesbian?'' I stared at Muchiko, hoping for at least some help. Muchiko looked really angry. Natasha on the other hand, had that angry look on her face if Lenin himself rose from the grave. Dark as in its 3 in the afternoon and it looks like 3 in the morning. I honestly couldnt see a thing, until the street lamps were turned on. But it was too late. We heard a scream and Anya collapsed dead on the floor, her throat slit. Harumi disappeared along with her followers. It started to get colder by the second. Natasha let out a huge scream. Muchiko looked pissed off. I was really angry as well, but at least the horse survived. Or so I thought. The horse had a bunch of flies around as it too laid there dead. I was already starting to like the horse a lot. Natasha began to plead with the officers to let them go, but they arrested all three of us. I really had to blame Muchiko for this one. If I was an officer and I saw a girl dressed like her and there wasnt a convention around, I would really look at her as really suspicious, ask what she was doing around the streets, then when there wasnt a legimate answer, arrest her. But not me and Natasha. As we were being lead to the policecar, I knew that Muchiko had some fail safe to break out of anything, but since her stuff was being sent to the farmhouse, then I was screwed. Then I saw her knock over a man with a pair of glasses in his coat pocket. She tackled him in a angle causing the glasses to fall out as they both fell on the floor. I didnt know what was going on and neither did Natasha. ''Hey stop it!'', I yelled. They had a scuffle until one of the officers knocked her on the head with a baton. The three of us were in the car; Muchiko feeling a little groggy. ''Hey'', I said. ''I found out there was a tracker on my hair.'' ''Guess your friend Anya was wrong'', said Muchiko to Natasha. ''I am so going to kill your sister really badly'', said Natasha. I guess shewasnt paying attention to what I just said. I switched the topic. ''So whats the charge?'', I asked Natasha. ''I honestly have no idea.'' She was about to speak when the car crashed into an oncoming bus. The cop car swerved to the right and landedupside down. As soon as it was about to turn, Muchiko, handcuffed and all, put her hands above her head to cushion the fall. I did the same, but since we didnt have any seatbelts, I wasnt sure this was going to work. I knew Muchiko was an expert on Physics, but she looked the type that wasnt an expert on surviving a car crash and also the type that really shouidnt be playing with matches. The car flipped over and the officers and us all flipped as well. The officers in front of us were hurt and I think one of them had a broken leg. We were fine, for the most part: my shoulder started to hurt real badly, Natasha felt pain in her foot, and Muchiko, who landed on her side, was o.k. How in the world can that be possible? ''Natasha'', said Muchiko. ''Break the door.'' ''Aye aye captain'', said Natasha in response. She was sitting to my left while Muchiko was on my right. Natasha used her good leg to break open the door. Already there was a huge crowd surrounding the damaged cop car. Other police cars would arrive shortly. ''C'mon girls'', said Natasha, limping a bit as she helped me and Muchiko get out of the car. ''Time to make ourselves scarce.'' The three of us, limping Natasha, me with an extreme shoulder pain, and Muchiko looking vastly healthy, went behind two buildings. Adding the fact that we were still handcuffed made a difference in our escape plan. When we found a good spot behind the stairs to regroup, Muchiko was the only one who didnt look worried. ''What are you smiling about?'', I said. ''I took a part of the guy's glasses. Now I can break free.'' She showed us the piece that goes by the ear. Then she placed it by the keyhole that goes on the cuffs. A twist, turn, a huge push with a little friction, strength from her part and she was free. ''How did-'', I was about to say but Natasha interrupted. ''Never mind how, just set us free.'' So both of us were free as Natasha, with gloves, disposed of the cuffs in a garbage can. ''Have to find my car'', said Natasha. ''I got my stuff in there.'' We went across the corner and Natasha led us to the back of a garage where the car was parked. I literally threw myself in the back of the car landing on my right shoulder as I laid there. Natasha took the wheel and Muchiko rode in the passenger's seat. Natasha pedaled with her left foot and tried her best to hit the brakes ever so often with her right foot. ''Hey let me drive'', said Muchiko. ''No no I got it.'' We drove in silence back to the farmhouse. I laid there looking at the ceiling transpiring of todays events. We knew now what Harumi wanted to do. Her killing Anya got Natasha pissed off. Her killing Anna the parrot however, got me really angry. As we approached the door of the farmhouse, Natasha was astonished at the destruction of her friends place. ''What happened here?'', said Natasha. The scene was really unbearable to look at, much less live through it. Glass of Anya's collectables broken everywhere, dishes smashed, the t.v was broken. As Natasha and Muchiko looked through the broken pieces of the living room and kitchen, I explained to them what happened and told them how it related to the tracer I found in my hair. ''Damn she's evil'', said Muchiko. Why in the world would she say that? Was she not evil before? ''You sit'', said Natasha pointing at Muchiko with a very angry tone in her voice as she led me to Anya's room. I had to pretend to act surprised when I saw the room. Then Natasha, seeing the hole in the door, said to me, ''Did you try and break through?'' ''No'', I lied. ''I wouldnt do such a thing. Like I said, I hid in the bathroom.'' With help from the hole in the door, she unlocked it. ''Wait in the bathroom'', she said. I knew how the room looked anyway, so I pretended to look and sound disappointed. ''Yes ma'am'', I said and waited in the bathroom. Surprisingly enough, there was nothing destroyed in the bathroom. All the usual stuff that you see in a medicine cabinet in the bathroom was all there. Nothing was out of place. I was really curious to see what kind of stuff Anya has hidden there. I sat up from sitting in the bathtub and stepped over it when Natasha came in. ''Sorry that I had to censor the room so much'', she said. ''Oh it's no problem'', I said willingly. ''O.k, roll up your sleeve.'' I rolled up my left sleeve and she dipped in some sort of cream. I was expecting her to rub it when she said ''lie down.'' I did as I was told. She rubbed it a bit, stopped, counted to 10, then pulled it ferociously. I screamed in pain. Guess that was a way to let me know that my body needed a lot more excercise. After 3 minutes or so, she stopped. The pain seceded. ''I wouldnt have thought that would work'', said Natasha. I took deep short breaths, calculating what happened. ''You didnt know?'', I said. ''Hey it worked on my foot o.k?'' She helped me up and my shoulder felt good as new. As we went downstairs, Muchiko helped herself to some water in the fridge. Natasha smacked thecup off from her hands. ''Explain.'' ''Explain what?'', said Muchiko. ''Your sister's actions duh.'' ''Well its simple-'' She felt blood from the back of her head. ''Guess protecting my head didnt work that time'', said Muchiko and collapsed. Immediately Natasha checked her pulse. She was still breathing. ''Dammitt answer me!'', screamed Natasha. ''Forget it. Lets just take her to the hospital, and fast'', I said to Natasha. So she carried her and took her to the back of the car. I had a sponge and some paper towels to at least hold the blood together. ''We have to go somewhere else for the hospital. Apparently, they know who we are if we ever stepped foot back to Moscow for that matter'', said Natasha. Apperantly, I guess news travels fast all over the city. Natasha decided to head to Poland randomly. ''O.k, Natasha, are you crazy?'', I said. ''Dont worry, its fine'', said Natasha and drove 80 mph. We landed near a motel from the highway. I hoped it was a motel. Natasha payed the guy behind the counter while I carried Muchiko to the room. The good thing about it: the room was on the first floor so thankfully the stairs were out of the question. The bad thing about it: I didnt realize how heavy Muchiko was. Sure, she was taller than me which made sense, but by how much I was out of breath after only 3 steps, I still dont know how she was heavy after how skinny she looked from the outside. There are some women that can look skinny and weigh a lot, I only knew a girl named Christine from my school who was like that, but regardless, neither Christine orMuchiko actually even told me that secret; Muchiko couldn't of course, since she was unconcious in the bed with blood from her head getting covered by cold paper towels. I didnt know how that would help at all, but I didnt want to ask. I was afraid the answer would be really creepy. Natasha came in the room, and had a duffel bag with her. "How is she doing?" she asked. I thought it was a really weird question, since we didnt have any of that mumbo jumbo hospital equipment to at least see her progress. "Why cant we just keep driving? Are you feeling o.k?" I asked.

"A little. I just felt really dizzy on the road. If I would, I would keep going, but a dizzy spell stopped me."

"Thats understandable, but unfortunately, I cant drive."

All that driving stuff I leave to my sister Jessie, wherever she is at the current moment. Natasha tied a towel and cloth to Muchiko's head. She gave a little shiver, as if she was starting to be awake, but she drifted back to sleep. At least it was a relief to see her alive. Only problem was, she was losing body temperature with every breath she took.

"Hey Kathy. She sleeps with you." said Natasha.

"O.k sure. That sounds fine", I replied.

As much as I was scared at the thought of sleeping with a bleeding friend, which I've never done before, I was comfortable with it. Natasha went in the shower, while Muchiko was wheezing in her sleep, which therefore, was keeping me up. I couldnt stand sitting in the sidelines. I heard the shower and Natasha actually singing. I didnt know people still do that, even in Russia.

At least that was the cover I needed.

I took Natasha's car keys and her phone, hoping that the phone wasnt still hacked. Remembering how heavy Muchiko was before, I carried her over my shoulder. That was a really bad move on my part. The good thing was that it wasnt my right shoulder I was carrying Muchiko around. The downside: no matter what, she still was really heavy. I didnt needed to get to the hospital and me and Natasha weren't exactly experts in the field of medicine. We try, but we still weren't good. I carried her past the door, and stopped behind the wall. I didnt know what time it was, but I didnt know how the guy at the counter could stay up. Plus, I couldn't stay there longer. If Natasha finished her shower and spotted us, I would be in trouble. So, carrying Muchiko, I bolted outof the motel door. I found Natasha's car right in front of the motel. I threw Muchiko in the back seat and opened the front door. Turning on the car was easy; just turn the key to the right. Driving it was another story. I have never even been behind the wheel of one. Plus the adorable shift pedal directions were in Russian.

How wonderful.

I tried my luck in guessing which one was the reverse; the third slot I would mostly see in cars so I pushed it there. And I was right. So I pulled out of the parking lot, pushed the stick shift in the fourth sloth and I was off. I was hoping driving would be easy. I was wrong by a good twenty miles. I was scared I was going to go too fast. I've seen the movies and how my parents drive.

So far, I wasnt doing a good impersonation of them at all.

After about 10 minutes of both trying to drive properly and wondering when would Natasha was going to chase us down, I finally got the hang of it. My happiness must've dont something right, when Muchiko slowly and dizzy got up from the backseat.

"Hey, whats going on?" she said.

''I've stolen the car from Natasha while we're going 60 mph to the hospital'', I responded.

''Oh how nice'', she said and went back to sleep.

Funny, I thought Muchiko would be a lot stronger to sustain a head injury knowing her scientific background. I reached a sign that hopefully said ''Saint Petersburg'' on it when the cellphone, in this case Natasha's cellphone that I stole, started to ring. I didnt even look twice at it. I knew it was Natasha.

A really angry Natasha at that.

Not the one who I knew back at the convention.

As I approached the city, without a map if I may add, I knew something was missing. Of course: I didnt know any Russian. Well, I had to hope that if they see someone with a busted head, they could at least know to take that person to the hospital. Hey, it was logically correct. The sky was still dark as I got out of the car in a random parking spot. Then the sky started to get a bit rather angry with me; it started to snow. With me wearing only a sweater and a bleeding patient with only a lolita dress on, our odds of freezing would happen in the next ten minutes.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven "Help! Help!" I shouted, as I finally found a hospital before the snow got worse. I screamed that way so hopefully someone can see if I'm crazy so they can find me. Thankfully someone did. I didnt understand what the doctor was saying to me; a random fellow with curly black hair and somewhat skinny. There was no translator to speak of. So I followed the doctors to see where they were carrying Muchiko. Once they entered the operating room, they pushed me out. I mean, literally pushed me. I was about to get even with them, when another paitent in the waiting room, an old woman in around her 70's, held me back. "Oh, thank you very much", I said. The woman smiled and showed me a stroller with a baby on it. She made a gesture with her hand and left. I guess I could watch it for a while. The baby, which was male, made a nice smiled and laughed a bit. I was not that good in making a career of handling a babysitting service. 8 years ago, my cousin Samantha, who was 2 years old, was a nightmare to take care of. Chasing Samantha around the house was good exercise for me and her, but I at least wanted Samantha in one spot. Then Jessie came in and saw the destruction of the living room. At least it was fixed in 10 minutes. I still have no idea how Jessie got Samantha to go to sleep, and I'm still investigating. The good thing about the Russian baby, it was in its stroller. As long as it stayed off the floor, thats fine with me. I was playing with the baby's rattle, when one of the doctors that took Muchiko in motioned me to go follow him. I didnt want to leave the baby, so I made the same motion with my hand to a woman next to me who was reading the newspaper to try and watch the baby while I left. I hoped that she understood my movements. I was toast if she didnt. So I left and the baby started to cry a bit. I guess I have to resurrect that babysitting idea now. I walked through a hallway overlooking a lot of rooms. The curly haired doctor led me to the third roomon the right. I walked in and saw Muchiko in bed, breathing and sleeping. It was like those usual hospital rooms with the bed, the closet, bathroom, and the annoying beeping sound next to her bed. I poked her a bit in the eye in hopes that she will wake up. She moaned a bit and turned her body around. I have no idea what kind of dreams someone like her would have, but my guess is that they would not be pretty. I poked her in the back of the neck and hoped that she would be awake. Still, she was asleep. A very tough heavy sleeper. I finally looked at the wound on her head. It was cleaned, fixed and stitched. That was a good sign. I saw no bedpan and no tubes up her nose. That was an even better sign. Then, there was a scream from the waiting room. That wasnt a good sign. I ran out of the room and through the double doors to see something really worse and gruesome. Seeing my friend turned into salt is one thing, but the baby was...cut in half. I was literally in tears. This was probably the most unbelievable thing I have ever seen or witnessed. I stood there feeling really empty inside. Then I realized that it might have been another distraction. I ran back inside to Muchiko's hospital bedroom and it was what I feared...she was gone. I looked out of the window...no trace. I was panic stricken. The target Anya was already done with and now Muchiko has been captured. Whatever they were going to do with her, I assumed it would probably either involved locusts or frogs. Just then Natasha came in the room. I was sure that she was going to get really angry at me for stealing her car. I already seen her wield an actual chainsaw, so I was nowhere near ready to see her fully pissed off. It looks as though that went over her head because she said, "Where's Muchiko?" ''She's gone'', I said. ''Rats. C'mon we have to find her.'' We ran out of the room and went outside, where the snow subsided. I pointed out the car to Natasha as I gave her the car keys. She turned on the car and just stood straight ahead without moving. "Hey whats the hold up? Where are we going?", I said. "Thats what I'm trying to figure out'', said Natasha. Its highly understandable of letting the car heat up during cold times in the weather, but I was scared of Natasha's expression that I thought the car will overheat and explode. She looked deep in thought. Then it looked as though she had an idea. ''I know where our junior scientist is headed.'' ''Great. So where are we going?" ''Judging by the calendar, we're going west.'' ''Uhh, o.k sure miss Monkey King.'' Natasha looked confused by that comment. I didnt want her to understand. Then I added, ''Where west?'' ''West...west'', she said in thought. She stared out through the steering wheel still in thought. Then she said, ''I totally forgot! What day is it?" ''Huh? What are you talking about?'', I said surprised. ''Nevermind.'' After 30 minutes of lost driving, Natasha drove back to the farmhouse. "Wait in the car", she told me. As she went inside, I started looking around, keeping my guard up and making sure that the only thing that can damage the car was me and nobody else. I was obviously scared. There have been enough surprises that come around and hopefully, I didn't have to experience one at this critical moment. Natasha came back with a big brown box and a huge smile on her face as she started the car. "And what is that?", I asked. ''Dont worry about it. But I have a feeling I know where they've taken Muchiko.'' ''Great, so where is she?'' "The area where they are holding the annual Gay Pride parade.'' ''Uhhh, and where is that?'' ''Strap on your sandals. We're heading to Spain." Wonderful. We're being chased, we're trying to find my friend, and all of this in a reasonable nice way just to get a tour of Europe. Now this is what I call a vacation. What surprised me from Natasha was that we were literally driving TO Spain. No airplane trip or anything like that. I was already beginning to notice that I was not going to like the very extensive road trip. As much as I really do want to enjoy every moment of European culture, I dont truly think a non-historical tour would lighten the mood; much less make me a lot more happier. I didnt know how long Natasha was going to stay up for. I had a feeling that she was going to lend me the steering wheel sooner or later. With my good graces, I really didnt want to crash the car. So we drove to the first stop in our European tour: Poland, which I remember as the place where W.W.2 started. Just being there finally seeing this place, and finally seeing the horrors that took place here, made my spine crawl very much. I really didnt want to visit a concentration camp. "Hey look, there's a concentration camp museum. Lets visit", said Natasha. opening my big brain. "Umm, I rather not. We got a job to do remember? Besides, it's a concentration camp, not a hotel." Unfortunately, I was a bit correct on that comment. I'm glad many people survived those evil camps. But for those who didnt...just dammitt. As Natasha kept driving, I had to ask, "Why do you think Harumi is taking Muchiko to a random Gay pride parade? I mean, you dont think Muchiko is..." "No. I dont think she is. She's too dark and overshadows everyone in her path. Even she gives me the creeps", said Natasha. "So if you dont think she isnt, then whats the reason for her own sister and her father to hate her?" "Well maybe she broke a very expensive vase or something I dont know. It could be something else we havent thought of yet. Probably did an experiment on her sister." "O.k. So your saying that her own mother supported her in doing that?" "Hey, you know how mothers are." I sighed. "Just keep driving." So we continued, and then we stopped. "Crap, I went the wrong way", said Natasha. "Huh? What do you mean?" "Sorry to burst your bubble, but we're not going to Spain. We're going to Denmark." Wonderful. We were someplace cold, and now we're going someplace colder. Geez Louise, cant this girl get her parade dates right? Fortunately for her, I knew how to get there. I was, as they call me, a human map of the world. "U-turn first, then drive 5 miles, then make a left", I said to my Russian driver. Instead, she went north. "Hey, where are we going?'' ''Re-freaking-lax alright?'', she said. ''I know a shortcut.'' ''I'm sure you do.'' So went north to what looked like a harbor. She screeched to a halt, unlocked both doors, and literally kicked me out of the door. ''What was that for?'', I protested. ''The boats leaving!'' She grabbed the brown box from the backseat, held it under her shoulder, grabbed my hand, and we ran there like our lives depended on it. "WAIT WAIT!'', screamed Natasha, but it was too late. The boat was gone. I really couldn't believe it. I looked at Natasha to at least give me a clue on what was going on. ''Are your stuff secure?'', she said. ''Stuff?'' ''Like pocket items?'' ''Yeah.'' ''Well of course they are.'' With that said, she grabbed me. ''Hold on to my back'', said Natasha. I had a gut feeling I knew what she was going to ask next. ''How long can you hold your breath?'' she asked me. I was pretty close. My guess was, 'Ready for a swim'. ''Uhhh, about 3 minutes...wait wait hold on. The water is going to be freezing cold'', I said. She put me down and took two pieces from a napkin and stuffed them in my ear. She motioned me to climb to her back as she picked up the brown box. Then, holding my breath, we dived. The water was a nice icy 35 degrees. I had my eyes closed as we were literally swimming underwater. I didnt want to squeeze Natasha so much. Squeezing the air out of someone helping you to swim through icy waters, isnt a good way to start a day saving your friend. Careful not to fall asleep, I counted 3 minutes before I tapped her shoulder, reminding her that I

was losing air. I felt us swimming to the surface. We were so close to the boat that the boat actually stopped and gave us a lift up.I was drenched and as wet as humanly possible. I really couldnt believe Natasha made me swim under the cold cold waters of the Baltic ,I knew for a fact that Natasha could at least swim in cold water; of course thats what they only have in Russia, but she swam like a professional. Natasha grabbed me and threw me to a room on the boat.

"Hey are you alright?", she said. I really wasnt sure. The water did frighten me since it was really cold in this spring time weather. I shook my head, made a little sob and pushed Natasha were random clothes there that I would have put on, but I was too cold. A part of my insides were starting to feel sick, so I got undressed,and gave myself a warm bath. I knew that every second we werent in Denmark, something very evil was happening to Muchiko. I didnt know where Natasha is and I didnt care. I was having my bath, I'm getting warm, and I was really plainly focused on getting Muchiko out of there. A frantic knock on the door knocked me out of my concentrated mood. I figured as much that Natasha had at least a lot of respect to leave me alone here while I was in the bathtub. I put on a towel around myself and headed to the bathroom door. I had to jiggle the handle a bit in a funny way. The door smacked open and hit me in my nose. I was busy covering my face from the pain that affected my nose to notice that someone came running in. I looked around, hoping to see Natasha, but instead I saw a young boy, who looked really familiar. "Sorry sorry. My eyes are closed. I'm sure I didnt see anything," he said. I was still staring at him in very much surprise. He was hanging on to the door like it owed him some money. It was good that he spoke english. "Hey, by any chance did you see a tall Russian brunette with red glasses around?" I told him. "Not now lady, I'm hiding." "Uhh, from who?" "Some guy who thinks I stole his fish." I had a little chuckle. I didnt know what to expect, but I knew I wasnt going to believe that for a second. "Hey, can I at least go change in the room?" I said. "Sorry, you can't get out." I punched him in the eye, closed the door, and placed a chair on it so he won't get out. Fortunately for him, there wasnt any windows in the bathroom, so he won't be pulling any stunts like I did before back in the farmhouse. As I left the room with nothing but a towel, the idea returned to me that I should've gotten dressed in the bathroom. A bunched of armed men pointed their guns at me. Natasha was tied up...along with the pointed yellow haired girl from before. One of the gunmen opened the door and let the kid out. "You fell for that distraction," she said. "Oh shut up," I said. "I also found out that he's gay," she said and shot him. "You damn creep!" said Natasha. "Your following one pathetic coward's orders?" "Oh shut up. Now get moving!" Natasha and I were led outside of the room, with me still with my towel on and outside of the boat, where it was really clearly seen that it was taken hostage. Man these people are weak. Can't even stop a couple of gay hating teenagers? The boat is not even that large. As me and Natasha stepped near the starboard side of the boat, both of us tied up, the little girl -who I still dont even know her name- smacks me. Natasha almost broke free, but was knocked to the ground. Damn, these guys are tough, only because they got weapons. I started to look around, really much hoping to see the National Coast Guard of Denmark arriving anytime soon. I was really hoping it was this second. I was naked and I had a feeling, if villainclichés are common, she was going to throw me off the boat. "You think you're so tough, trying to throw us off", I said. Natasha looked confused. "Cant you think of something better to do?" Natasha shook her head in disbelief. The little girl snapped her fingers and tied me and Natasha onto some heavy chains. I realized then that I was there with nothing but a bathrobe on and the Baltic sea was freezing cold. I was in there once and I almost got frozen. Now that I had nothing on, it was already going from bad to worse. "What are you gonna do to Muchiko?!" I demanded. "Oh, you'll find out, if you live that long. Farewell", said the little girl. "Just relax," said Natasha behind me. "No harm would come to you." "What? Are you sure about that?" I said. "You forget that I'm naked here, and I'm cold." "Ssshhh, quiet." We were tied tightly, obviously wanting us to crush our lungs and we were kicked down into the Baltic Sea below. I shut my eyes. Only having a towel in the cold sea -and I mean only having a towel in the cold sea- really is painful on the inside of my body. My thoughts were about Muchiko and what horrors was she going through. Then I thought of my sister. If I was going to freeze to death, I might as well think of my family. 2 minutes to go until my lungs give way. Ice inside my lungs could hurt. I never tried it and I know how sometimes sharp ice can be. It was only a matter of time. A matter of time before I see Becky right in front of me, poking me. I barely had my eyes open and I felt like I really couldn't breathe. I tried my best to save up the air for most of my lungs and I did feel Natasha trying to break free. I felt something warm on my hands. Oh...no she didnt...tell me she didnt... 15 seconds... I felt something grab my hand. I was really happy to feel that something. Then I felt air. "Hey you alright? Wake up", said Natasha. I coughed like crazy. My eyes were filled with the icy waters of the Baltic, and I smiled to see a glasses wearing girl next to me. I gave her a huge hug, and then I coughed water on her shoulder. "Oh I'm sorry", I said. "Dont worry. Lets go to land and get you some clothes." She was right. I was starting to feel really sick. She grabbed something from her belt and gave me a small jar. "Hey, how'd did you get Muchiko's belt?" I said. "Duh, it was ordered to her remember? Now drink up. This would help you get your strength back." I didnt know what this was and I hoped she was right in saying that whatever this was, would help me. Without asking first, I took a huge gulp. "Now bake for 5 minutes. Deep breath!" she said. "Wha-" "Hey, deep breath." She shoved me down the water. I struggled to try and break free while I heard Natasha say"Keep still". So again, I closed my eyes and remain focused. It would be a miracle if I kept my breath for more than 3 minutes. Just a real gosh darn miracle. I felt myself move, but it didnt matter. I felt at peace and I didnt feel any fear. I was still naked under the robe, but now since I knew that no one on the sea was going to try and take a photo or something creepy like that, I was fine. I felt myself losing air again, but it felt like 6 minutes, not 5. I kept my eyes closed and started grabbing Natasha's hand. She lifted me up and as I opened my eyes. "Lookie, its Denmark", said Natasha happily. I was out of breath, and it looked as though there was a party on the streets. I hate coming late to a party. Most embarrassing, I didnt have anything nice on. Correction: I didnt have anything on. So me and Natasha were really confused, but there was hope. I saw someone pass by with a rainbow button. "C'mon, let's go see", said Natasha. "Wait wait,can I get clothes first?", I said, really worried. "Hey, we're at a gay parade. You fit perfectly here with what you got on." I had no choice but to laugh. Jessie would actually say those exact words to me in this situation. "Hey, how did you get us free? I felt something warm. I thought you used-" "No no relax. I'm not that crazy." "So what was it?" I heard a scream from a commotion straight ahead. It was cool that no one was looking at me. My popularity in the parade steeped to a low when they saw what I was looking at. The good news: We found Muchiko safe and sound. The bad news: She was 50 feet in the air on a high freaking pole. I really didnt know how or why she was up there, but I knew that Harumi was really close by. I was happy enough that I was going to beat her up, with nothing but a robe on. Natasha and I pushed our way into the crowd until we had a good closer look at Muchiko. She wasnt moving. I was really scared. "What the heck do we do?" I said. Natasha was about to speak when there was a huge sounding microphone ahead of us. "Ladies and gentlemen...uhh, I mean normal ladies and gentlemen", said Harumi. That made me sick. "I present to you, the worst person in the world! My own sister!" Her friends cheered. "Behold! She will now be burned for practicing us of evil black magic!" said Harumi. She lit a huge torch. The rest of the country didnt even know what was going on. I was about to go through the crowd, even if I have to jump from shoulder to shoulder to do so. I seconded that idea because I only had a robe on. I didnt care if I was in a Gay Pride parade, I didnt want anyone, guy or girl, to take a sneak peek under my towel. Not my towel, the boats' towel, but that didnt matter here. So I looked at Natasha. "We have to try and get her the belt." I said. "But how?" "Oh that. I have played a bunch of ring toss games." County fair games are my specialty. So it should be very easy since this was a huge 50 foot version of a ring toss game. A ring with a bunch of toys inside trying to aim at a body who I hope can at least grab it. So, just my luck, I threw blindly without aiming. Dont ask why I didnt aim or dont ask how I got such a good quarterback arm. If it landed on the pole, I would feel a huge relief. If it didnt, then that would be proof that I needed anexercise and that I needed glasses; I would look really geeky then. Harumi was about to speak again, but then noticed it in the air. "Bring the pole down! Hurry!" said Harumi. Muchiko barely opened her eyes to quickly notice her belt coming towards her. She forcefully and painfully took her hand from a rope of thorns and grabbed it. She quickly puts it on, but notices that the pole is quickly taken down by Harumi. I ran there, but that was a really foolish maneuver; Harumi's scene was being very well protected throughout. Man, why can't cops do anything to her these days? It would really save us some work, and also save us some travel money. I appeared close to the scene, but Natasha held me back when I noticed Harumi holding a box to the crowd. The pole got down and Muchiko held on to the pole as it fell where Harumi's crew were. She jumped to a roof of a building, and ran. "After her!" said Harumi. Using that as a distraction, I tackled Harumi to the ground and knocked the box away from her hands. "NOOOO!" screamed Natasha. Harumi held out an evil laugh. I smacked her. That was my mistake as more as it was hers since she pulled my robe from me. With a huge crowd, I was completely naked. The girls cheered the loudest. Of course they would. I was extremelyembarrassed and very very red in the face. Natasha put her jacket over me and carried me in the threshold. The reason Natasha screamed was plainly clear. Inside the box wasnt a bomb, which would again, be really cliché. It was a box full of locusts.I'm sure locusts dont bite. Then again, I should've asked the ancient Egyptians during the bibilcal era. "Run Run!" I yelled at Natasha. I didnt weigh much -not saying my weight here- so there was no reason for her to drop me. She ran behind a wall. "Damn...where does this girl get all of this stuff from?" I said. Obviously, I knew Natasha wasnt going to give me an answer, but I said it to give her a hint that Harumi wasnt all 'I'm the best in using bibilcal terrors' type like she claims. "I have no guess Kathy. We have to find Muchiko," said Natasha. Still carrying me, she peeked around the corner. The entire crowd was still getting picked on by the locusts. Natasha and Ididnt have any huge bug spray for the crowd but looking at it really bothered me. Attacking a group of people because of who they loved and how they express themselves? This girl really dosent understand life at all. "C'mon. We get you clothes alright?" said Natasha. So Natasha kept carrying me and we kept on running. The swarm of locusts looked as though they spotted us and flew towards us. "Natasha! Bugs at your six!" I yelled. She ran and then said something that made me shiver. "Time to go out to sea again." said Natasha. I was afraid of that. With the swarm behind us, I remembered to hold my breath this time. I had my eyes shut and I felt Natasha started to swim a whole lot deeper that the other times I've been underwater. I open my eyes for a little to see the locusts flying overhead. Natasha then swam very slowly. I guess she was starting to get really tired from all of this action, but she didn't lose pace. She bobbed her head up from the surface as she lifted me up. The locusts were still over that area. "We only got 12 seconds until they spot us. C'mon." said Natasha. I'm not going to even ask how she knew that. As I held on to her back, she jumped over a fence, as we went inside a bar nearby. Some of the crowd from the parade were there and applauded us. "Uhh, I dont know your language but thank you." I said shyly. "Anyone here got spare clothes?" said Natasha. The bartender pointed to a door in the back. I went to dry myself and got changed with some fresh clothes. It was a white shirt along with a black sweater with a logo of something in Denmark that I didnt even bother trying to decipher what it said. My guess was that it was about pizza. I came out and the lesbian women all whooed me. I did assume that they did like my little scene from the parade. It wasnt even scripted. Natasha grabbed my hand, still all wet, and we were about to head out the door, when the locusts all came in the bar. The whole bar was now in a state of pandemonium. Natasha gave a huge type war cry and busted through the locusts swarm and outside to fresh air. I was surprised I didnt get bitten or stung or whatever locusts do. "Please dont do that again." I said. "Hey, your o.k right?" "Of course." "So there you go." "I guess your having fun babysitting." said Harumi right in front of us. Natasha looked very very angry. "Whats wrong commie?" said Harumi. Even that comment got me upset and I'm not even russian. "_Vytak ne uĭti s etim, Vybesserdechnyĭ ̆tesʹ v svoĭ rokiumeretʹ_!" [You are so not getting away with this, you heartless bastard. Go back to your rock and die!] saidNatasha. Harumi laughed. What, so she understood that? "_Vyznaete, yaponyal, chto ne tak li?YA vzyalRossii v srednyeĭ shkole._" [You know I understood that right? I took russian in high school.] said Harumi. That answered my question. I pushed Natasha out of the way."C'mon!" I yelled. "Just me and you." "Meh. You cant survive a fight against me." "No weapons alright?" Harumi sighed. She took her belt off and put it down. "Go for it then." Natasha looked as though she was totally stunned. In all honesty, I never fought someone before. I felt like I was really totally screwed. I knew that no wepons meant that she couldnt use her belt of poison but if it was directed at me, that meant no help from Natasha.I gave Harumi a right hand across her face. She studdered back. I tried my best to at least hope that this fight didnt reach the water. I've been there around 3 times already, and that seemed enough to keep me clean for 3 months. I glanced behind me a bit at the bar. The people at the bar made it out safetly. It looked as though the bug problem was taken care of. That was a relief. I looked back at Harumi. She just stood there. "Was that really your best shot? I expected something better from someone like you." she said. "Nope, that was just the start" I replied back. I went for another punch, but she grabbed it with her right hand and almost broke my nose with her left. Natasha ran to my direction. "Hey are you alright?" "I hope so." What I didnt see was Harumi about to take something out from her pocket,but someone did see it when Harumi let out a little scream of pain. Natasha looked to see a small knife right through Harumi's ring finger. The familiar yet extremely strange Muchiko came from behind the bar building. Probably the best thing I've seen so far on my trip here. "Cheater!You never was good at losing." said Muchiko. "Stand and fight." "Damn you sis. You should've died. Guess I'll try it again soon." With that, she dived into the water and disappeared. After that long chase adventure, there's no way I was going back in the water. Muchikoexamined my face. "You two shouldnt have come. It was too dangerous." "And let your sister do something very insane to you? I told you before and I'll tell you it again: we're a team alright. And we'll help you anyway possible", I said. Muchiko put up a very small smile. Natasha just stood there, not knowing what to say. ''We really need a place to crash.'' said Natasha. ''Fine. We search. Itsalmost dark.'' said Muchiko. I was really to see her, at least bandaged. She was smiling a lot more because she had her belt back full of her items. ''Hey where did Harumi go?'' I said. ''Dont ran back to the person who's orchestrating this mess.'' said Natasha. Muchiko was taken a bit surprised by Natasha's comment. ''What do you mean? It'snot her?'' ''Trust me. I dont think she has the credit cards available to buy all of this bibilical stuff.'' said Natasha. I already knew who was behind all of this. I just wanted to see if Muchiko knew who I was thinking of in my head. ''We must find a phone to call long distance.'' said Muchiko. We ran around the city of Copenhagen looking for at least somewhere that can accept long distance calls, but more importantly, someone who can speak english. Lucky for us, we found some tourists. They led us to a very weird credit card shop. Muchiko ran inside while Natasha and I waited outside. The rest of the city looked like one of those 'cities by the harbor' place you see inthe brochures. It looked as though it was really populated and of course, being that its Denmark's top city. There were some candy shops around the area we were in. I havent had any candy in weeks. I was about to run across the street, when Natasha held me back and motioned that Muchiko was coming out of the store. What she said took my guess way out of the water. And I do not like water.

"My father was killed in a car accident. Hit and run driver." said Muchiko in a very sorrowful tone.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Waking up to nothing but bunkbeds in front of you seemed normal enough, but take the fact of our adventure yesterday, and it seemed a whole lot calmer and happier. Muchiko told Natasha and I to keep her little secret among ourselves only and to not tell anyone we come across. I, for one had absoultely no problem doing that. Natasha agreed as well. This was going to be even more enjoyable, now that we knew what we needed to do and what we needed to accomplish.  
I woke up and immediately hit my head in the bed above me where Natasha was sleeping. Thanks to that near hit, I worried about the rest of the parade goers. I noticed that Muchiko was gone.  
''Just a little trip to the restroom.'' said Natasha.  
I heard some yelling through the hallways. Muchiko raced into our room carrying a black laptop on her side, and shut the door.  
''What was that for?'' I said.  
''I just need some technology to look at.'' said Muchiko. There were furious knocks on the door. ''Go away heathens!'' I knew this much about her: she knew something that was a little bit less dangerous than coffee.  
''Hey, you can always get coffee.'' said Natasha.  
''Sorry, I'm not affliated with the nervousness of caffine.'' said Muchiko.  
That didnt help much. I took a little glance at her screen and saw she was looking up on how to make another adorable chemistry weapon. I snatched the laptop from her, shut down the computer, opened the door and gave the laptop to a boy who looked like a well made Californian surfer. Seeing him made me really miss the states.  
''What the heck is your problem?'' said Muchiko.  
''Me? You're the one looking through stuff to make other lives miserable.'' I said. ''We probably dont have time for any more of your test experiments.''  
''Well, you guys are lucky. I think I know where Harumi is going to strike next. Before I went through the experiments page, I looked through some gay bars here.''  
''Gee how wonderful. But there could be a lot. How will we know?'' said Natasha. ''Besides, not to offend you, but you're not necessairly a Psychology expert.''  
''I know I'm not, but I did have a visual read on where the closest bars are near the place where Kathy and Harumi had that baby fight.''  
''Baby fight?'' I protested.  
''Yeah. It didnt even last long."  
''Duh. Thats because you saved me.''  
''My point. Well anyway, here is the plan.'' She took out a piece of paper from a drawer and drew in a bunch of lines. ''O.k. Natasha, you guard the south area here. Try and get them to at least hire you to be a security guard or something like that.''  
''Yeah, sure.''  
''Kathy, you're going to go west here in this direction.''  
''Wait wait hold on a second. Listen guys, how do we know she's actually even attacking gay bars in the first place? I mean, well not to sound mean, but how do we even know that this is concrete information?'' I said.  
Muchiko grabbed my hand and along with Natasha, led me downstairs, where there was a news story on t.v about a huge fire in a bar. It clearly showed that Harumi was behind it; they even showed a photo of her.  
Bandana and all; a classic thief look if I ever saw one. All of this crime, pain, and suffering just because of catching her sister in a sexual act.  
''I guess the cement just dried up, don't you agree?'' said Natasha.  
I nodded in agreement. ''O.k. Muchiko. I'll agree with the rest of your plan. I just hope your right and I really hope that this problem inside your sisters head really gets solved.''  
So the three of us rode our bikes to our designated locations. I was just scared that I might get into an accident. As Muchiko led me first to my location, Natasha got off from the bike and rubbed my hair.  
''If anything-''  
''Yes yes I know to contact you immediately.''  
So she and Muchiko left. I don't even know why Muchiko was acting so quiet. Probably pissed that I disobeyed her before. From her expression, it looked as though she didn't think I could've gotten the job done. I knew I could actually do it, but with a case this severe, it would actually take some sort of miracle.  
I went inside the bar, until I saw a sign in English that the age of drinking was 21. There goes my one chance of drinking in a foreign country. The good news was that at least it was in english. I sat alone in the corner of the room and scoped out the place. It was mostly your basic guy kissing guy stuff and other drunken idiots in the bar. Looking for something suspicious in an unsuspicious place was another thing Jessie could handle. Besides her eyes being night vision, according to her, whoever looks suspicious would smell really funny because they would shake and be more nervous when trying to do something. Looking for someone shaking would be tough, but I hoped that it would be a lot easier to find the person who ''didnt belong'' in this open-minded crowd. A waitress came and offered me a drink. I shook my head and she looked deeply offended. What? Is it a crime to say no? I watched the t.v, when police officers entered the bar. I guess they have been keeping an eye on the news and our plan. I was about to leave when a little fight broke out. I kept an eye on the area surrounding the confrontation to see if anything happened. The cops came to confront the fight and suddenly, the lights were all cut off. Great, the one time where I need Jessie here and nothing. I really couldnt see anything at all. It was hard enough to even know what I was looking at. Out into the whole commotion, I felt someone tapping me on the shoulder. I was scared that it was one of Harumi's friends or a cop. I whirled around, took the person by the arm, and left the bar to the outside. It was the waitress from before.  
''You ok?'' I said. She looked as though she was in tears.  
''Whats wrong?'' She still didnt speak, but was crying. It wasn't fake tears at all. Really red on her face, blond, around her early thirties; she didnt look like a model, but more or less just a regular housewife, who happens to work in a bar. I made sure she was o.k, as I ran back into the dark bar. Before I could step inside, there was a ringing my cellphone.  
''Yes?'' I said.  
''There seems that trouble is brewing here.'' said Natasha. ''How are things at your end?'' ''Horrible. Listen I got to go.''  
''Did you get a hold of Muchiko?''  
''Uhhh, no. Why?''  
''Her phone's off.'' I hung up my phone. This is why I never made good friends with gothic teens in my school. I shook my head and stepped inside. I almost vomited as I turned over at the disgusting display.  
Their insides were filled with...cookies? Now that was a very sick joke. I was getting completely freaked out. Most of the police were dead too, just less gruesome. Some were just injured. The scared waitress from before came in and was completely terrified. Without saying another word, I stepped out of the bar and moved out of the way for the arriving ambulance. My face was still in shock and I hid my face away from the buzz of the crowd so as to not be questioned by anyone. I turned around from the corner and was about to sob in utter failure. I still couldn't believe that I was so scared of the dark, I let innocent gay people get killed. I was too distraught. This whole scenario was getting to be more puzzle problematic then I would've even guessed. Where else would Harumi strike next? That was the popular question that had many answers. One good answer that I hated was anywhere there was a rainbow flag present. I looked back at the bar and saw the waitress getting asked questions. She better not blame me for anything. I took a deep breath, trying to order myself to calm down as I dialed up Natasha's number.  
"Yes?" she answered.  
"Hey, my club here that I was supposed to be guarding was trashed pretty badly."  
"Huh? Are you still calling me?"  
I was confused at that response.  
She added, "You're the one who's supposed to be getting a hold of Muchiko."  
"Me?"  
"Yeah."  
"Did you try?"  
"Hey just call me when you speak to her o.k?"  
"Uhhh, sure."She hung up. I assumed that Natasha was waiting to see if I spoke to her all this time. Probably because I knew her a bit longer than Natasha did and expected me to know a bit more into the weirdness that is Muchiko. That isnt to say she was my roomate or anything. I was about to dial her number but then I saw a girl about my height with a very long ponytail coming out of an alley between the bar and another store which I'm guessing was a shoe store. She looked to her left, took a quick glance at me and sped off."Hey you! Stop!" I yelled as I began chasing her. I still had no idea why I actually told her to "stop". It's not as if she was going to listen. Besides, with a quick glance of how she looked like, told me that she was prettier than me. That long hair made me jealous and it was unfair. The ponytailed brunette jumped on top of cars as I was running behind cars trying to catch up. I dont know who this person is trying to be but I do remember my mom always telling me never to play a game of 'tag' during moving traffic. Well, sorry mom. This was the one time I do not regret breaking this rule. I just hope that ignorance I just showed dosent get me killed in the process. If I did, then mom would yell at me; when she does, it won't be pretty. It was apparent that this girl was faster than I was as we ran through 5 blocks of cars and very confused faces. My lungs were giving way to exhaustion as I started to slow down. A blur through the town is really an enjoyable sight by the way when you are running, but that was something I couldnt focus on. I wanted to try and not collapse from the running. Then I see a little kid sucking on a bottle of water. He looked no older than 2 years old. I knew that what I was about to do was completely out of line and character, but in order to keep my lungs from passing out, I had to do it. I would never live it down. I ran and snatched it from him. He started to cry."I'm sorry but I need it to live." I said. If it wasnt water, then I was really asking for it. I opened the bottle and took a sip. Either that was really water or some sort of super baby formula because as I guzzled it down, I felt a huge rush of energy and I could run a lot more faster. The ponytailed girl noticed that I was closing in and bursted out of there with breakneck speed. I finally caught up with her until I realized that I didnt know what to do if I did grab her. I was no police officer. I didnt have any handcuffs or any type of rope nor any type of accesible small experiments to use on her, just like my good buddy Muchiko. If anything I had American courage. In this random crisis, that means everything.I felt like I was close to her, but she jumped a fence and climbed an emergency ladder off the side of a building. She looked down at me, raised the ladder so I wouldn't reach it, and went inside. That was really well played. There was a wall to the left. I thought of a very unprecedented manuever, but it had to be done. I ran to the wall, made a quick jump off it, turned my body and reached for the ladder with both hands. Even with my somewhat small stature, I was still able to grab it. There was no time to celebrate that feat, as much as I wanted to, as I climbed the ladder as quickly as I could. The top lead to an empty room that could've been used for many purposes, but my good guess for the usage was making shoes. I saw some shoes in the corner and neither of them looked as though they fit me. It was mostly dark and totally gray with glass windows to the right of the room. The light that sparkled through the room was shown at the specks of dust of the floor. It looks as though this hasn't been used in so I thought.A flying ax whizzed past my face as I had only a sixth of a second to get out of the way as it punctured the wall behind. The pontytailed girl ran off as the ax throw served as a little distraction. I chased her down a flight of stairs. She was already down the stairs and tripped over. I heard something fell as I ran faster down the stairs. The bannister gave way as I fell to the ground. I was o.k just a huge throbbing pain on my back. The girl was gone. I went struggling and wobbling in pain as I approached two big doors. I guessed my assailant went in this direction. I opened the door and was a bit surprised of a big crowd that was overlooking the sea. I looked as well out of shape and out of breath. Riding a motorcycle was normal. Riding it through the dry Baltic sea as it opened a path for her was was one of those biblical things I wanted to see and experience. How in the world is Harumi actually doing this?I saw Muchiko run next to me. I was still open mouthed pointing at the sea. Muchiko didnt look that impressed. She looked as though she's seen better. I would really beat against her.  
"Its a cheap illusion. there is no way she's able to pull that off." she said with a confident tone in her voice.  
"What? How can you be so sure?"  
"Wait here a minute."  
She came back with a bike. I've seen that look on her face before. I've been in the water a huge amount of times. Illusion or not, I'm not going back in there. No, no, no.  
"Should we call Nata-"  
Muchiko interrupted me and she grabbed, placed me behind the bike, took ten steps back, told me to hang on, and pedaled over the fence as we made a small leap of faith to the temporarily dry sea. Sooner or later, I knew that this water was going to come crashing down on us. According to a map of Europe that I memorized, we were going to either Norway to the north, or Germany to the south. All I wanted was to not die by drowing. It looked as though that may as well be the was pedaling very hard. Whereever we were going, by the speed she was going, we would catchup to the girl in about thirty seconds. My phone was ringing.  
"Dont answer it. I'm not letting you fall alright? Just hang on." said Muchiko. "There will be plenty of time to call them back."  
"But what if it's Natasha?" I said.  
"You can't expect to reach it and still hang on to me."  
That sounded like a wager to me. Carefully with my left hand and trying to hold on to the goth biker with my right hand, I reached for my phone. All of the times that I have been underwater, my phone hasn't been damaged. I guess someone was looking out for answered. "Yeah?"  
"I found Muchiko."  
"Well finally. Nothing happened here in my area. Where are you guys?"  
"Uuuhh, bike riding and chasing down a motorcyclist on the temporary dry Baltic sea."  
"Oh crap. You know sooner or later that the water is going to come crashing down in both of you?"  
"I know that. I dont think the gothic person riding the bike in front of me knows that."  
"Wait a second: So you're chasing down someone who's riding a motorcycle on a bicycle? Are you crazy?"  
"Not me. The bike rider."  
"True."Muchiko snatched the phone, hung it up, and put it away in her pocket. I dont even know how she did that.  
"Hey, what gives?" I said.  
"Search my back pocket. There should be two oxygen pills. I searched through and found them."O.k. Now what?" I said. That was the dumbest question I could ever ask. I passed her one and held mine. Muchiko could pedal this much without getting tired? It surprised me until she was really slowing down. She felt some water on her face.  
"On three." she said. A slight pause as she kept going. Then , "Three!"  
I gulped down the pill and swallowed it. After about two minutes, I felt some sort of protective lining inside my lungs. I breathed in air that wasnt around me.  
''I feel something on my insides.'' I said.  
''Thats normal. Now dont hold your breath alright? You really dont need to.'' said Muchiko. I figured as much that she was joking. I knew for a fact how trusting Muchiko can be. I was starting to doubt that trust.  
''What do you mean 'not hold my breath'? You want us to get killed?'' I said, with an expression of terror in my voice.  
''Just relax alright?'' she said.  
At the far end, we saw the piece of land that happened to be Germany. Also, we saw that our ponytailed friend already reached land. The water gave a quick glance at us and came crashing down. I held on to Muchiko for dear life as I closed my eyes and held my breath. If I was going to die by trying to bicycle ride under the Baltic sea, then so be it. Adding the fact that I always told Jessie that if I was going to die one day and if she outlived me, that I wanted her to bury me at sea. When she asked me why, I told her the honest truth: The ground was too dirty and I wanted my last view and breath to be the ocean. Since it was going to likely happen and since we was still around 2 more miles from Germany, all my sister had to do was find my body. Good luck with that. As I shut my eyes, I felt like the water took too long to even reach us. I barely opened my eyes and saw that it did crash down on us; the little difference was that neither me or Muchiko were wet.  
''You o.k back there?'' said Muchiko. I really wanted to hit her for making a oxygen bubble around us and not telling me, but I fought the urge to hold it off till later. From my point of view, a little part of the ground was visible. The water stopped short from my sleeve and my back. After falling from the banister earlier, I would really love a well deserved water massage. Snapping back to reality, I realized that Muchiko was sweating a tremendous amount, but she didnt slow down this time. I was about to ask her what that was inside my lungs, but it would be better if I left her to concentrate.  
After about 10 minutes, we were almost to a pier when Muchiko said, ''We only got 5 minutes until the oxygen pill wears off. So we have to hurrry and get to the surface.'' said Muchiko.  
I nodded. Keeping in mind that we were on the sea floor, I let go of the bike and swam upwards. ''No! Not now!'' yelled Muchiko.  
I figured 'why not' in my head. I had a protective air bubble surrounding me. The only things that would go wrong was that either I wasnt going to make it in time, which I knew I was considering how much time I spent in the water the last couple of days. Or that Muchiko somehow designed it as a pairing bubble, meaning her oxygen pills worked when it was with two or more people. If that was the case, then she did come prepared for anything; whether it was finding a friend or a female lover. Yeah, I thought that. The good news was that I didnt run out of oxygen. The bad thing was that I felt as though gravity was pushing me back down underwater. I tried my best to fight it. I learned to never fight something as strong as gravity. There is no way you can win. I found that out the hard way after I felt and heard two small pops on my eyes. I completely blacked out. I woke up in a hospital bed. A blue room that looked as though it was a small torture chamber. The rest of the room was those basic hospital style rooms: medicine cabinet on my left, syringes on the bottom, a sink on my right, and a blood pressure machine behind me which looked like a small oven. It was obvious that Muchiko saved me. I hoped someone could tell me ''what'' actually popped. My answer came walking in as a doctor and a wet emo asian girl, one male and one female. The doctor was about to speak when Muchiko made a quick whisper to him. They shook hands and as he left, Muchiko beamed right at me.  
''I said not to separate from me.''  
''Well what happened?'' I asked.  
''Your capallaries burst from the water pressure. My pill was designed absolutely to prevent that from happening and of course for you to breathe.'' So I was half right.  
''Will I be o.k?''  
''Yes, you'll be fine. You just need an overnight stay.''  
''But what about?''  
''The girl? She's gone. Natasha on the other hand will arrive later. Probably to yell at you.'' ''What?''  
''Hey dont look at me.''  
''I'm sorry about that.''  
''Look, I was really scared o.k? When I saw you lying there, almost motionless in the water, I had a huge rush of panic. Luckily our bubbles came in sync just in time for me to rescue you.''  
''Wow, thank you.''  
She leaned over and gave me a kiss. I took that as a huge surprise, but since it was her nature, I think I was going to let it pass just this once.  
''You dont tell anyone understand?'' said Muchiko.  
''Yes o.k.'' I responded.  
She was about to walk out the door when I called her back.  
''Hey. Where are you going?''  
''I got to go make arrangements.''  
''You know you can stay right?''  
''Uhh, no its fine. You can take care of yourself.''  
''Hey what time is it?''  
''Its a little past 5.''  
''Cant you at least stay?''  
''Look, I'll tell Natasha where you are, alright?''  
So she left. I didnt know that Muchiko knew German and also, I now know that she really liked me, which is really comforting to know, sort of. I went through the entire day in my head. The bodies each filled with cookies, the ponytailed girl I was chasing, the detonator in my...oh crap. I reached inside my pockets and it was gone. I breathed a sigh of great relief. I didnt want to see that in my sight ever. It gave me the creeps. I was at peace here in the hospital bed. That isnt to say that I wanted to stay here much longer, but I was starting to get a whole lot jealous. This bed felt way more comfortable than my own bed. I fought the urge not to sleep as I got up and began to do exercises. Hey it was something to do instead of just laying in bed all day. My eyes felt fine as I did situps. I was going to start on some crunches when another doctor came in. I hoped he knew English; if he didnt, it was going to be a long day.  
''Go back in bed.'' he said. ''Your not healthy enough to be doing exercises.''  
I smiled because he knew English, but I was really confused by that statement.  
''What do you mean?'' I said.  
''You must rest please. No strenous exercises.''  
I was confused and went straight to bed as he closed the door behind him. No checkups or anything on me? I guess it showed that I was o.k. I just hope no one would randomly surprise me. On the contrary, someone did. A red haired, red glasses wearing Russian came storming in. One of the best sights I've seen in the past few hours. She wasnt upset or anything, which was a good thing, just really tired.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine Me getting shot in the shoulder wasn't a really good thing to experience. The bullet was removed and happy chance that the shooting was in the hospital. Scary thing was, the gunman was aiming for Natasha's head, and considering how bigger she was than me, it was no easy feat to push her out of the way of the gunshot. It was a really good feeling to save someone's life, but not a good feeling of unbearable huge amounts of pain. Still I do have to question Muchiko's motives in randomly guessing that the gunman would lead us to Harumi. How would she know?

She just got here. Natasha was in the room, feeding me some German soup. It wasn't bad tasting chicken soup, with sour creamed mashed potatoes. Muchiko, on the other hand, was cooking up a medicine her way: with her trusty utility belt. Using her medicine, which I highly doubt would kill me in a matter of seconds; it wouldn't taste better than the soup. That was something I didn't want to risk, no matter what promotion Muchiko would put up. The soup did help me relax. "Hey Muchiko, what are you making there?" I asked.  
''Please tell me it's something normal.'' said Natasha.  
''Knowing her, you know it won't be.''  
Muchiko looked as though she wanted to strangle us. She took a small beaker this time of yellowish liquid, took my left shoulder and poured it on the wound. The pain was so severe on my shoulder, I felt like I was giving birth. According to my mom however, there isn't no other pain stronger than child birth. When I'm about to have kids, I just hope I'll be alive afterwards. ''What did you just pour on me?'' I said itching in pain.  
''Silly girl. That was only vinegar.'' said Muchiko.  
''Well watch it alright.''  
Natasha laughed. Thanks to that laughter, it reminded me of a less pleasant topic to talk about. ''Say ummm, any of you know why I had that dream before?'' Natasha looked a bit startled. '  
'Hey hey don't ask that question alright? Probably because of the salty sea water.''  
The one word I didn't want to hear. Too much adventure in the water already in my life and I didn't get attacked by a shark yet. Muchiko had her back turned to us. I broke the silence that echoed in the room.  
''Hey whip are you o.k.?'' I said.  
I knew before that Muchiko told me not to call her by that word, but I was worried about her that I wanted her to at least talk. She turned around in deep thought. Natasha and I saw the way her eyes looked. For some weird reason, they looked grey.  
Probably secret eye contacts.  
Finally she spoke. ''I honestly do not know how you had that dream. I wish I could have an answer for you other than saying that your sister is alive and well. Of course I can't confirm that. But promise me Kathy, that you won't let that dream flood in your head any longer.''  
I shedded a small tear. It was hard not to think of my sister, since I do think about her every single day. I went to sleep, hoping not to have another horrible dream. The good news was that I didn't dream of anything. The bad news was that I had to stay in the hospital for another two days.  
The vinegar did work and it did speed up my recovery somewhat, but me staying an extra two days did not fair right with Muchiko. She tried all her best to plead with the doctors that I was perfectly fine, but they refused. In a bit of anger, she left the hospital. Natasha didn't mind the extra days; according to her, it was a perfect time for us to bond. How joyful. My first couple of days in Germany and I didn't see at least one site. All that fun was swept away in the hospital. I began to think numerous times of breaking out of the hospital, but with all of this stuff that's going on here and with our adventures, that would be really risky. Who knows if someone is keeping an eye on this place? And what ever happened to that girl with the braids? I sensed that she was also in this building.  
''Hey Natasha, can you get me a snack?'' I said.  
''Well o.k. Maybe a sandwich?''  
''How about some candy?''  
''Candy for a bullet victim? Well o.k., but don't complain when you have a bunch of cavities.''  
So she left. I was about to get out of the door when I realized that I was being watched by doctors round the clock. True that Natasha was the one being targeted, but guarding me was something that was totally not logical. I counted to four when I stepped out of the room. The doctors were busy as usual. Of course I knew the old saying of ''Finding a needle in a haystack.'' I was never friendly with needles in the first place; as such I am never friendly with this mystery girl who I was looking for. Thank goodness I was wearing a white robe, which did match the white wall, but it didn't cover my newly dyed blue hair. Hey, it was shiner on me more than anything.  
A security guard was on my left, guarding the staircase. I waited until he made a somewhat slow turn with his head; at least something serving as a distraction. There was none. I went back in the room and found an object that looked like a skin discoloration bottle. Well why not? It's not as though I would have to pay for it. It's not even mine to begin with. So I took it and I threw it at an angle that seemed like it didn't come from my direction. It broke and there was panic as if gas was let out. The officer attended to it, while I was like the rest of the people in the hospital and ran out of there. I couldn't even hazard a guess as to where the ponytailed girl was. I just had to be lucky is all and hoped I didn't get kidnapped before Natasha rolls around and figures out what happened.  
I ran upstairs to the top floor, which was the fourth floor and the area surprised me. It was as empty as I could even think of. I guess the evacuation plan was for all floors. Or so I thought. I remembered the scene in my head well of the little skirmish at the warehouse. My back was fine and so were my eyes. I looked around the blue room. There were only two sub rooms that had lights on them. I knew that this was the oldest trick in the book. There were two options: either she was in one of those rooms ready to ambush me, or she was in one of those darker rooms on the side ready to ambush me. Either way, it looked as though I was getting ambushed.  
I stood there waiting. I felt a small breeze from behind. I whirled around. Nothing. I didn't check the side door where I got tackled to the ground. Well at least I knew that there was a third option I could've considered. I broke free from her grip.  
''Who are you?'' I said.  
''Don't worry about me little one. You're the one who's going to feel a thousand deaths when I'm through with you.'' she said.  
The only thing that would ruin this encounter could be anything; I just really hope that it wasn't a bomb, or worse, water. So now, our somewhat epic fight would finally begin again. I got a good look at her this time and I was a bit surprised that she wasn't Asian. It was good enough to know that Harumi knew how to pick decent friends; but it was bad enough to know that this girl looked like a repeat offender of some sort.  
So now our somewhat epic fight would begin again. It would be really tough to see if I could get the upper hand this time. Fighting isn't my specialty, but it was really worth a shot to actually kick someone's ass. I was waiting for at least a chance that a hospital worker would come back to this room and forget his jacket, but there was no sign. When they all left running, they made sure they didn't leave anything behind; which was a shame seeing all of these goodies here to take. I threw a punch at her. She grabbed it, almost twisted it and threw me to the clean hospital floor. ''You should've left when you had the chance.'' she said.  
''Sorry to disappoint you,'' I said getting up, ''but I knew there was one pile of crap hidden here somewhere I was just dying to get rid of. Now are you going to tell me your real purpose of being here? Or do I have to take a knife and find the words down your throat?''  
The girl only laughed. It was the best thing I could come up with and she only laughs. I was really hoping she would be the one to enjoy my insults. She landed a kick to my left cheek and punched me in the stomach really hard as I flew to a room behind me and crashed on a small looking refrigerator. It was locked unfortunately. The braided girl came up to me and kicked me in my damaged shoulder.  
"C'mon and fight back.'' she said. Her accent was clearly not from home. I wasn't good at dissecting accents from anyone I meet. I'm sorry to tell my brain that information, but we haven't travelled the world to figure all of these languages out. My only guess that I would consider was that maybe she was Italian, but it was more of a guess from outer space than anything else. She grabbed my face as I spat on her.  
''Hey look, you got something on your face.'' I said as I literally punched the daylights out of her nose.  
My right hand knuckles were filled with blood. This is my first fight ever and the blood made me a bit squeamish. I knew it wasn't my blood, so there was no reason for me to get worried, but still, it just looked weird. I brushed it off with a small hand towel. Since the girl was down, that only gave me a few seconds to look through the small room to find some sort of weapon. Hospital rooms are used sometimes for those dire emergencies. I was experiencing one of those first hand and I'm not even sick; just a wide marginal bullet injury. However as I began to search the room, the pain in my left shoulder almost popped the bone inside. The bullet struck me almost clear cut inside the bone. Through the miracles of medical science, they got the bone out through immense hours of surgery, but it still hurt like crazy. That little kick that she gave me in that same shoulder made the pain much worse. Thanks for helping.  
I went out of the room, holding my shoulder. She was gone. I knew she really wasn't however, just still hiding like the coward that she is. Since I didn't see which room she'd run off too, now the guess would be rather difficult. I knew she came out and tackled me from the side before. So I had a feeling she wouldn't do the same thing. I checked behind and under a big desk in the middle of the room. Nothing. That hiding spot would be too easy. What I didn't see is when she grabbed me from being and started strangling me. It was a very insane grip, one that would almost make me lose consciousness in a matter of minutes. I slowly grabbed one of her hands to loosen the grip, when she knocked me upside my head. Felt like a frying pan of some sort; I assumed because I have gotten hit with one of those by sheer accident before while I was cooking, and trust me it was not pretty.  
I was barely able to get up, when the girl pulled me from my hair and showed me a test tube which said on the side ''HCL.'' Those three letters when combined were able to make something really acidic and something really deadly.  
''What...what are you going to do with that?'' I said with a scared tone.  
''Oh nothing. Just wanna give you some eye drops.'' she responded.  
''I know for a fact that you are really sick in the head. What the heck gave you that idea to put cookies in their stomachs?''  
''Just something nice I thought of. It was really pretty right?''  
Then a voice from out of the room and through the hallway:  
''Let her go!''  
I was expecting Natasha to come by and save the day. She was probably brushed out of the hospital after that scare, although I knew for certain she would sneak in undetected. But it was someone I wouldn't suspect, not in a million years.  
''Master Harumi.'' the braided girl cried out. This wannabe tomboy saves my life.  
Really fishy if you ask me.  
''I said let her go Bianca.'' Interesting name for an Italian.  
She did as she was told. Harumi then tied me up as the three of us went to the roof. I was really starting to freak out. I didn't have the slightest clue where we were going, but thank goodness I was wearing dark pants; just in case I would freak out in a very quick manner.  
We made it to the roof where a helicopter came buzzing in. I didn't see the person who flew it, but I was kicked inside. Harumi then said something in Japanese to the person flying the helicopter. The person nodded as we went above the roof. Bianca made sure I didn't go anywhere as Harumi grabbed a megaphone. I didn't know what Harumi had planned for me, but I hoped to be ready for anything. This was something I wasn't even prepared for, not even if I had a seatbelt on.  
''Hey Natasha, I know your still inside,'' said Harumi through her megaphone. ''Come up here to the roof. There's someone who wants to say hi.''  
Bianca secured the rope that was used to tie me up. Harumi came next to her, and without warning, pushed me off. I screamed for my life. Luckily, they had the rope strapped on to a seat on the inside of the helicopter. I spun and spun until I stopped, very dizzy. I was so dazed; I could barely understand Natasha's voice, even though it was very faint in my ears.  
''LET HER GO!'' she screamed.  
Bianca and Harumi lifted me up and were ready to throw me down again like a yo-yo. This time, it was a very worst position. The rope was tied around my neck. I was glad that the small fall didn't break my neck, but now it was a race against the clock as to how long I could reach grape status around my face.  
''Your killing her!'' said Natasha.  
I barely was able to see Natasha on the roof. My only concern was trying to get this rope away from my neck.  
''If my sister isn't around in like 3 minutes, she will make a nice car ornament.'' said Harumi.  
I almost had the rope free when I heard Natasha say ''She isn't here o.k.? Can you just let her go?''  
''Well fine. If that's the way you want it.''  
Harumi took out a knife, and cut the rope loose at the exact same time that I wriggled free. By then I knew it was all over. I guess I would be seeing Rebecca again after all. Natasha leaped with all her might as she dived behind me. I guess you could say she does practice diving from time to time as she only had 5 seconds to grab me and try to save the both of us. With 4 seconds left, Natasha saved me with her left arm and held on to a window top with her right; we both fell to the concrete from the shortened first floor. That was one scary ride.  
Natasha held on to me even while we were still falling. I gave her a small poke to show her that I was still alive. Natasha was right on one account. Where was Muchiko in all of this? It was not like her to miss all of the fun that her sister was making. I finally got up from the pavement. After the back pain that I had earlier, I really didn't want to go through the horrors of the hospital again. It seemed however, that Natasha was not so lucky. It looked as though she landed face first. I turned her around and I saw a huge bump on her forehead. I tried my best to push it back down as a huge crowd gathered around us. Since the hospital was evacuated, there wasn't any place to take her. I sure hope she didn't break any bones in that matter; I was fine, but I was hoping I wouldn't be the one to fix her. No thank you.  
A woman offered to help me get her inside a restaurant. I simply nodded as me and the woman lifted Natasha up off the ground. It was a good sign that she was still breathing, but she was so freaking heavy. She probably got around more than forty or fifty pounds at least. As we entered, it seemed like everybody was concerned about Natasha. Once she was set on a table, I was immediately pushed away as even the owner of the restaurant-I think he was the owner-came through a random door and offered to help. I looked at my phone and saw that there were around five missed calls, all from Muchiko. It's funny that you hardly think about the phone in a emergency situation and that you can't even feel the phone vibrate, or more or less, even fall off when you're dangling some seven stories up hanging tied up off a helicopter. So I called her back.  
''Go.'' she answered.  
That was a really weird way to answer a phone. I also heard some loud music.  
''Hey, where are you?''  
''I can't tell you. I'm in an area outside of town working on a experiment.''  
''Really? Did you happen to catch the news on how I was dangling with my life on the line off a helicopter?''  
''Yeah. I'm tracking it down now. I knew you'll live.''  
''Well, luckily Natasha saved me.''  
''Cool. Just like the way you saved her remember?''  
''Yeah well-''  
''Listen, I think my phone is bugged. I'll call you back. No more stunts o.k.? Please stay alive.'' She hung up. This was starting to really get on my nerves. Muchiko, now being really secretive all of a sudden? And how does she know her phone got bugged? I thought she loathed technology. I turned around and saw Natasha standing upright with a huge amount of applause. I gave her a hug.  
''Are you sure nothing's broken?'' I said.  
''Yeah. I'm sure.''  
As we walked out, Natasha asked me, "how did you end up in that random situation on a helicopter?" I told her what happened. She was in a bit of shock.  
''Wow. How nice of her to spare your life but how wrong it was of her to torture you. Are you sure that your o.k.?''  
''Yeah, I'm fine. Just bruised along my neck, but I can still breathe.''  
That was an obvious lie; my neck was very itchy and in pain. I was lucky not to re-injure my back during that ordeal and fall. I didn't need any more pain. We went to a hotel and booked a room. Natasha ran ahead of me first and beat me to the shower. Of course she would win; she was the one with the hotel key. To me, however, I can see that she needed it more. She was the one that did land face first and she was the one who, even though she didn't have any German money, managed to bribe the hotel staff into getting us a room. I wasn't even going to ask how.  
I was right in front of her and I still don't know how she did it.  
As I lay in bed, hoping for my turn in the shower, I was starting to get very hungry. I remembered that there was no way to order food service since I really didn't know the language. The only thing I found really useful were some hotel pajamas. Then I thought about falling asleep, but from all of those scary dreams I've been having, I was really afraid to. I also had no idea that Muchiko actually disappeared and is currently in hiding. I thought that weirdo wasn't scared of anything.  
About ten minutes passed and Natasha came out of the shower. I ran to the bathroom, but Natasha grabbed me.  
''Hey hey calm down. Relax alright?''  
''How can I be calm, when our Goth mascot is nowhere to be found and does not want to be found.''  
Natasha thought this over. ''Hey, she probably thinks that by splitting up, we could cover more ground this way.''  
''I really don't think that's how it would work. Besides, she claims that her phone was bugged'' ''Probably just saying that so that we could keep out of her way.''  
''Why?'' '  
'Hey I really don't have an answer for that one alright!''  
She was angry for getting to the point that my questioning annoyed her. I opened the bathroom door and closed it slowly. On the other side of the door I heard her say  
''I'm sorry.''  
I responded back, ''don't worry. We'll find her.''  
''You better be right.''  
As much as I liked detective games, I was sure as heck I was no detective. There was only one clue that Muchiko left me, which was the loud music in the background. It had to deliberately be left loud by her. I sure hoped it was.  
''So how in the world do we find Muchiko?'' I said.  
It was an obvious question, but one in which neither me or Natasha had an answer to. I would briefly understand why Muchiko would probably be in hiding. I understood since Harumi might be much scarier than Muchiko, but it's still not believable on my account. These times that I have been at least near Muchiko, either the look on her face or perhaps her perfume would scare me. Now, thanks to her, I would probably now see orange and bananas as very deadly fruit. Natasha was more worried than I am. Germany was obviously a very populated country, so finding Muchiko would prove to be very difficult. There could be a party that none of us knew about, or she could probably be hiding in a strip club. Even though both are scary thoughts, both seem likely to be obvious hiding spots for the scientific Goth girl. Why is a party scary you ask? Who knows what knowledge or types of experiments she would love to try on little kids.  
So we really had to think.  
''Well so far, I got either a strip club or a party.'' I said.  
''Well, those are some weird guesses, but I was thinking more along the lines of a laboratory.'' said Natasha.  
I was a bit angry at my mind for not coming up with something that obvious. Neither of us knew the area that well, but with my knowledge of maps, I was pretty certain we could find anything. The only thing stopping us from accomplishing that feat would be the language.  
''Try to find a map of the area Natasha. And also find someone who speaks English.'' I said. Natasha looked a bit upset.  
''So why me?''  
''Well pretty much because I actually crossed the Baltic Sea to get here, and I did fall more than fifty feet from a helicopter and almost got hanged to death.''  
''Well, I'm the one who should be resting here in the hotel. I did save your life you know.''  
I looked obviously defeated. Somehow, the words ''I saved your life'' can actually win through any situation. Especially if something like that recently happened less than two hours ago.  
''Well alright. I won't tread far.''  
Natasha threw the key card at me. I grabbed it, almost scraping my face. I really didn't need a cut across my cheek at the moment. I didn't feel like bleeding then and I don't feel like bleeding now.  
I went out of the room and closed the door. After walking just three steps, I heard the door lock behind me. Now I knew Natasha was freaking me out. The hotel hallway was really classy. Red velvet carpeting, walls painted yellow, and red curtains. I felt a lot like I was in the Czech Republic; I felt that way because it was for a report I had to do.  
Immediately as I was about to reach the stairs, I heard a door open behind me. I didn't want to handle any problems that were heavier than mine; I had a weirdo chemist to find. I didn't even turn around when another door opened to the right of me and hands just dragged me inside. A guy in his early thirties who looked well shaven, a haircut, and a blue business suit with a red tie. If I was doing an interview with him, I would hire him on the spot.  
''Uhh sir, what's going on?'' I said, pretty terrified. He looked confused. If he didn't know any English, then tough. That was his problem, not mine. Besides, since he wouldn't be of any help on my mission to try and find Muchiko, I have to get out of the room. He waved his hand, telling me to back away as he took out a gun. Forget I ever said that I would hire him on the spot. I knew that I was going to be no one's hostage.  
He was looking through the door, kind of afraid. But it was his mistake to turn his back to me. Seeing that opportunity, I lunged towards him and kicked him in his left arm where he held the gun. Then I tried with all of my strength to punch him on the side of the head. As soon as he went down, I opened the door and started to run. He probably got up as soon as I had my foot out of the door, because as I headed for the elevator, I heard gunshots. I slid towards the nearest wall and hid behind it. It was so nice that the elevator was between me and the gunman's' room.  
''NATASHA!'', I screamed.  
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Natasha peek out of the room.  
''Yeah?'' she said.  
The gunman turned to her direction and fired. Natasha let out an ''eeeepp'' sound, as the bullets broke through a vase, missing her. It was a good thing that she was o.k., but I did have to thank her for letting her be my cover fire. Sorry, but I really needed a Russian distraction.  
I walked slowly to the elevator and pushed the button. There was no light or anything. I kept pushing it and finally realized that it didn't work. The one time where it would have been really useful for something to save my life. Gee world, what have I ever done to you? I looked a little bit over to the area of Natasha's room. Silence.  
I let out a loud whistle. I hoped the person I was rooting for would come out of the room as the victor. No one came out. I went by the door that was already opened. It looked as though there was a hurricane that came by.  
"Hello?" I said.  
The man came busting out of another room, grabbing Natasha with one arm and his gun pointed to her head. I asked Natasha a question that I was scared to get the answer to. ''Did anything weird happen to you?''  
''No. Don't worry about me.'' And she winked. The gunman, who I realized was very different than the gunman from the hospital, said in clear English: ''I want your blood.'' Great. Just what I wanted, a random vampire fanatic. I've seen too many of those back home. Roughly ninety-eight percent were mostly teen girls. That ninety-eight percent was not a statistic I wanted to be a part of, nor will I ever be a part of as long as I live. Regardless, this was my second time handling a hostage situation. The first time didn't work out so well; the person I was trying to save turned into salt. I was so sure that the same thing wouldn't happen twice; unless he secretly worked with Harumi also and borrowed her powers. I was even more confused as to why this person would be trying to assault me and Natasha. It would rather seem without question that he was a rather strange individual. I was merely just walking along the elegant hotel hallway when I get ambushed by this weirdo. What, does he have a fetish for young girls? All questioning aside, I had to act.  
''Why in the world do you want my blood? I can assure you that it's not even tasty, by human and vampire standards.''  
I was right in the human standards part. I did cut my lip a couple of times during falls along the swing set. The vampire stuff I wasn't so sure about. Then he said something that made me shiver in fear along the back of my spine.  
''Your blood will provide sufficient long lasting properties for the great sacrifice!''  
Oh boy. I completely forgotten about how much sacrifices of animals there were in the bible, but I knew for sure that there were no human sacrifices. Unless he randomly knew about the kiss that Muchiko gave me earlier, then I really wasn't that good of a sacrifice.  
''For what purpose is this sacrifice needed?'' I said.  
''That is not your concern.''  
Natasha, seeing the opportunity, elbowed him in the stomach and tried to wrestle the gun away from him. I didn't need anyone telling me that I should've ran out of there when there was a gun involved, that was common logic. Instead of running out of the door, I hid behind a couch that was next to the struggle. Bad choice of hiding let me tell ya', especially in this live or death situation. I may as well stay here and see if she needed help. Natasha got the gun off his hand by almost breaking one of his fingers with the heel of her shoe. She then kicked him again in the face and then proceeded to throw him to the ground and breaking a table. I came out from behind the sofa and started to hold him behind his back with his arms behind him as best as I could. Natasha grabbed the gun and pointed it at him.  
''Hey relax Natasha. Don't make any sudden movements alright? We need info first.'' I said. Natasha didn't look like the negotiating type at all. She looked at him, very angrily of course and just asked him one question. ''Who is Harumi working for? I doubt that she's doing this all on her own.''  
''I'll never tell you who that person is, other than its someone stronger and more intelligent than either Harumi or her dumb founded sister.''  
I grabbed the gun that Natasha was holding and shot him clear across the head.  
''Uhh, what was that for?'' asked Natasha.  
''Isn't that what you were going to do?''  
''Well, not entirely. I just wanted to scare him. You obviously took scaring to a way whole other level.''  
I looked at the horror of what I did. There was someone out there who was entirely smarter that both Muchiko and Harumi, and both sisters have control of all the sciences that I could think of. I guess neither of them really didn't like math; which was probably the only guess of the missing subject.  
''It's not safe here. We have to try and find Muchiko ourselves.'' I said.  
I was hoping for some obvious agreement from Natasha. She just stared out the window. I didn't know what was so important outside the window.  
''Hey Natasha, what's wrong?'' I said really worried.  
''She's out there. Like the sheep that's gone astray. We have to get her back.''  
''I know. I sure hoped she can actually stick to wearing one color clothing as always.''  
Natasha let out a sigh.  
''I will never understand this girl and her hurry to separate from us.''  
''Hey who does understand her?'' I responded.  
We were out the door, when the woman who was having the domestic problems came out and started to scream repeatedly. Natasha looked at her.  
''Hey ma'am. Do you understand my voice and language?'' said Natasha. The woman nodded slowly. Natasha pointed at her nose.  
''Stop screaming and shut up. Understand?''  
She nodded.  
''You become weak again, and I will return and break your skull. Understand?''  
She nodded again.  
''Great. You better not let him bash you around.''  
With those words, we left the hotel. I guess Natasha is really friendly after all to everyone. How awesome is she? I just hope she doesn't do anything weird or crazy. Sometimes, even she scares me of her attitude. And here I thought Muchiko scares me.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten ''Where are we going? Where are we going?'' said Natasha. I was running around the big city with the map around my hands. I was literally out of breath. I knew a map by memory but I didn't know any of their customs; only some beer drinking party. I don't drink at all, but even if I did, I wouldn't survive three drinks. The moment I drank two very strong sodas was the moment I passed out. I sat down on the floor exhausted. Natasha was not even breaking a sweat. I don't know how Muchiko riding a bike for almost 50 miles and Natasha running around for 2 hours with me not get tired. It's getting me really jealous. I sat down on the ground sidewalk near a park next to a playground. Natasha sat next to me along with playground kids that surrounded me. It was good to organize a small army of people who knew nothing of what you were talking about or of your reason to either find someone or go to war. It was good to have some supporters on my side. Some of the kids looked sadder than I was, while one kid, who had an eye patch, was eating a sandwich. I have to admit, for someone who looked ten years old, he looked bad-ass. Trying to concentrate on something other than the eye patched kid; I looked at the rest of the crew. I whipped out my cellphone, and showed a picture of Muchiko to them. How a picture of her got on my phone, I really had no idea. I was even more surprised because I opened the phone to try and call her, and got a text message from her with her picture on it that only said, ''Good luck trying to find me.'' That was really creepy. ''I hope any of you know English. Does anyone of you know where this girl is?'' Most of them only shook their heads. I was surprised that they knew and understood exactly what I said. I hope. One of them, the eye patched kid, took me by the hand. Natasha and the rest of the children followed in silence. Where he was taking me, I hope it was somewhere safer than where I was before: surrounded by kids who looked like they were going to take my lunch money. Either that or somewhere worse; like the sea. I remember a book that Rebecca read a year ago. I didn't remember the name of it, but I glanced at the beginning of it and some girl was turned to a fish for some number of years and since then, she's hydrophobic. Now that my mind was an idiot of thinking of that instead of something calmer, I began to really get nervous. Suddenly, my nervousness dropped as I saw a woman reading a newspaper. I didn't see her face until she put the paper down. Red hair, a skinny complexion, sunglasses, and a really nice smile. ''My son says you wanted to ask me a question regarding someone?'' she asked. I looked at Natasha. She was busy getting climbed on by the rest of the kids as if she was some Russian mountain. That would make a lot of sense, considering her tall stature. ''Uhh, yeah. I was wondering if you've seen this girl either wearing a white or black Lolita outfit running around.'' I showed her the picture. ''Well…'' She began to really study the picture. ''Is she your friend or something?'' ''Yes. Me and the tall Russian mountain over there have been looking for her for two hours,'' I said, pointing at Natasha. ''Well,'' she said. ''It's not healthy to leave a friend behind.'' ''Huh? But we didn't do anything. She randomly left us.'' ''O.k. I have seen her around. Around this area.'' She pointed to a red apartment building. ''Thank you very much,'' I said shaking her hand. ''O.k Natasha. Lets go.'' It took a while for the kids to let go of her, but it was done in a matter of nine seconds. They waved good-bye to us. The eyepatched boy gave me a military salute. I did the same as me and Natasha crossed the street. ''O.k that was not fun,'' she said. ''Hey you got to spend time with them. I had to hangout with the scary one.'' It was a little tough for Natasha, as I've seen, for her to get the feeling of going from the city to the outer area of Berlin. The city treats her fine, but now that we're out of the city, it looks as though she gets dizzy spells. It looks as though she gets them for a short while. As she collapsed on the stairs for a bit heading inside to the apartment, it really scared me. ''Hey you alright?'' I said. ''I'll be fine no worries. Just try and find the right building number,'' said Natasha. Well, there was some indication as to what the buildings were, like the apartments back in Chicago. So we were off to a good start. Now for my least favorite part: the guessing game. I knew very well that Muchiko did not like math at all. So this did not very much bold well at all. I was scared to even push a button, much less wake up a crazy person. Natasha got up a few minutes later. ''What buttons did you try?'' she said. ''None. Maps I'm good at, but not building numbers. Are you o.k?'' I said worried. ''I'm o.k now.'' It was like Natasha experienced motion sickness, but without the movement of a vechicle. I guess she didnt feel dizzy at all during our trip to Russia; after all, it was her hometown. ' 'So what do we do? I feel like I'm trying to break into a bank.'' Natasha thought for a second. Then she noticed a keyhole. She took out a paper clip, bended it, and started to pick the lock. It was a really interesting feature, but that still did not solve finding Muchiko. There was a click as the door opened. The building had five floors, with four doors in each floor. I was going to knock on the first door that I saw, when Natasha pushed me back. ''Hold on a sec,'' she said. ''Uhh what is it?'' ''I dont hear music or anything.'' ''Well maybe she turned it off.'' ''No, she didn't'' Well that was a nice response. ''Well what do you mean no?'' I said. At the corner of my eye, I saw a figure about to come down the stairs to my right. I barely saw some piece of black clothing until the piece of clothing ran back upstairs. ''Hey you stop!'' I screamed. We chased the character up to the third floor and heard the door close. We looked around the four doors that situated the third floor. ''I think its this one,'' said Natasha pointing to the one on the left. I started to bang on the door. ''Hey open up!'' I yelled. Just then a door opened up behind us. ''Hey can you keep the noise down. I'm trying to sleep,'' said Muchiko sleepy-eyed. She looked horrible. We went into her room. It was really odd. Firstly, this wasnt a hotel room or anything, this was an apartment. So either she bribed someone to hold it for them until they returned. Secondly, I had to ask her. ''Why in the world did you just break out of us like that? You know it is dangerous more than ever to separate.'' All Muchiko did was yawn. ''Would you like to see the rest of the apartment?'' she said. "Well fine by me," said Natasha. ''So can you explain why you keep running away when me and Kathy have strict orders not to run away?'' ''Hey dont worry about it. I'm still alive.'' ''Yeah but it wont be for long,'' I blurted out. The apartment wasnt half-bad looking. I knew for a fact that she was holding it for someone. Surprinsgly, it was a small t.v next to a expensive looking couch. I dont know how that even works. I didnt see the room, or in this case, her room. The kitchen was the first thing we saw when we entered. I will honestly say that it was one of those kitchens you see in mansions. It was small, but it gave the rest of the apartment a really good classy look. Now that I knew a bit of Muchiko's thought process, I dont mind taking the apartment after her. After what happened next, I gave the thought of taking the apartment a lot more thought. A girl wearing a towel appeared out of the bathroom. So much for the theory of holding the apartment. She was a bit surprised to see us. So was I. ''Who's your friend?'' said Natasha. Muchiko looked angry. ''Do NOT call her a friend.'' ''O.k me sorry.'' ''Uhh, hello. I'm assuming you'll be joining us in our little war,'' I said to her extending my hand. She didnt speak, but it was Muchiko who said, ''No she wont.'' ''Oh so that means she isnt a...'' said Natasha. ''A what?'' ''You know, like you.'' ''No she isnt o.k?'' Natasha looked a little relieved. Muchiko motioned to the girl to get back to her room. She froze. Then Muchiko grabbed her and threw her inside and locked the door from the outside. I only stared at her. ''Are you crazy?'' I said, but that was a question I already knew the answer to. ''Hey this is a private matter.'' said Muchiko. ''Speaking of which, luckily I hacked onto my roomates laptop.'' ''Nice job. So what did you find?'' said Natasha. ''Well, its regarding Harumi.'' ''O.k. That goes in the 'must need to know' section,'' I said. ''So where do we go?'' Muchiko paced back and forth, her white dress swinging back and forth. It was as if she was wearing a brides mate dress, not a lolita outfit. She really has very interesting choice of clothing. Then suddenly, as if to give us a clue straight in our faces, there was a scream. Muchiko grabbed her utlity belt and ran out the door, with me and Natasha following her. As we stepped out of the building, a numerous amount of police cars surrounded the park where the children were earlier. So it was no problem right? Well, when I saw Muchiko sniffing the air, I knew something was really wrong. ''Its her,'' she said. I was hoping she didnt say that. Natasha ran across the street, with part of the street blocked with police cars, but our side still had speeding traffic. So Natasha was running while the light was still green. The part that scared me was when Natasha ducked under a huge truck. Man, I didnt know people in Russia took so many risks. She was able to cross the street unharmed, but she was pushed away by the police. The light turned red allowing me and Muchiko to run across. ''Natasha, what do you see?'' I said. ''I see someone with red hair...and it looks as though she was pummeled. By rocks.'' Man, this was really starting to piss me off. The typical type of beating someone took during bibical times, was getting rocks thrown at you. Really tough and unquestionably, something I really hoped Harumi didnt do. Now that this happened to this stranger who helped us find Muchiko in the first place, either we really did have some sort of another tracking device put on us, or that someone was spying on us. I started to look among the crowd in sheer panic. No one looked suspicious. Then I remembered. ''Natasha, where are the children?!'' She looked around the park. Muchiko turned to us. ''Whats going on? What children?'' ''There were children here!'' I said in the most worried tone ever. Muchiko went to a cop. They talked for like twenty seconds. She came back, more shaken than I was. I hope she didnt say what I thought she would say. ''The police are looking through the park. There are no blood traces or anything, so it looked as though...it pains me to say it...they've been kidnapped.'' Natasha let out a huge scream and threatened to hurt someone, until she was subdued by the police and asked to leave the premises. It took much strength for me and Muchiko to try and get Natasha to calm down. I never tried to bring down a tall person like Natasha before. Not even during gym class. As we walked away, we noticed some police officers taking pictures of a nearby sandbox. As we approached it, we noticed that there was writing on it. There were two officers there. So two of us would be a distraction, while one of us, who knew Harumi's language would try and see what it said. I never took the job of being a distraction before, but Natasha took my hand and nodded in my direction. Oh boy. Whatever we were going to do, I hoped it was worth it. Natasha and I ran to the officer's direction. We went near them and I thought Natasha was just going to grab their police hats. She did something else that was totally unexpected; for an older sister substitute, I think she fit that description very perfectly. Natasha smacked one of the officers while running. It is pretty obvious that either she didn't know the rules of the country, or in a major retrospect, her dream was to land in jail. I knew perfectly well what the definition of a distraction meant: someone does something to lure a group of people away from either a crime or something else important. That's all it is. To Natasha on the other hand, it practically meant suicide. I do have to give her credit though, not many people do a feat like that and not get shot in the head. Both of the officers ran after us, which gave Muchiko time to look at the sand to see what was written. That wasn't my focus. Surprisingly, me being the youngest and shortest of the group, I had the underlying task of watching Natasha and making sure she didnt do anything stupid. I already failed so far two minutes ago. ''Where are we running to?'' I said. ''Just keep going,'' said Natasha. She lifted me her up on her back and kept on running. That was awesome. We went around the huge park into the direction of another building. I really hoped Muchiko would find us. There was a beep in Natasha's pocket. ''Yes princess?'' said Natasha. ''Meet me in the apartment. I know for a fact you have eluded the police. Please hurry.'' Then she hung up. The funny thing was, we felt lost. ''Great, where do we head now, 'miss geography'''? asked Natasha. I began calculating the steps we took and began to whisper to myself as I tried my best to remember where we came from. I know that it was weird that I would whisper and stuff to myself, but it really does help me concentrate. I developed map skills since I was twelve. We were on a road trip to, of all places, the Grand Canyon. We got lost after we made a right turn when we were supposed to turn left. Jessie was hogging the map while I was stuck in the car. Yes, stuck. Jessie locked me in. I had the window open, but I didn't know what was going on. All I knew from my head that day was that my dad read a direction wrong on the side of the road. He didn't notice it for like ten miles. I honked on the horn and I was yelling, ''turn right after the next two exits!'' All my dad did was just stare at me. I didn't do those pitiful looks that little girls do to get attention. My look was a look of confidence. So my dad nodded of my approval. No one said a word to me, but Jessie, took a piece of paper and wrote ''you screw up, we're leaving you here in South Dakota and your walking home.'' After we got off past the two exits, we were on the right highway back to Chicago. My family was all astonished. Jessie brought me ice cream. Since then, I have been paying attention to the surroundings around me. Natasha was staring at me like I was some psychic. ''Well, what do you see?'' she said jokingly. ''Its over there'', I said, pointing to my left. She still had me clutched to her back as I held on. Instead of putting me down and walking slowly like normal, she grabbed me to check if I was still secure, and we started running. If the police saw us running and thought that something was up, I would knock Natasha up in her head. Fortunately for me, I was in perfect position to do just that. We made it to the building and buzzed on Muchiko's apartment. ''Password'', she said. ''Wha- Its us o.k? Natasha and Kathy,'' said Natasha. ''Cannot confirm this until you tell me the password.'' Geez. I was paying attention to everything Muchiko ever told us, from when we entered the apartment, up until the distraction scene. Why in the world do we need a password? Was she working on a secret that we didn't know about? As much as I wanted this to be like a Role Playing Game, that path of thought was spiraling out of my head as reality kicked in. ''The password could be anything,'' said Natasha. ''Not anything Natasha, just one thing,'' I said. I took a deep breath as my head pondered through any and every type of thought of what Muchiko actually liked or, more or less, cared about. Then the answer hit me a lot harder than a stick of celery. That analogy was presented thanks to my adoring sister; when a huge stick of celery hits you in the head, then you'll have a headache for a couple of days. Of course it would only hurt if there was a rock tied to it. ''The password is...Harumi,'' I said. After a few seconds, there was a click and Natasha pushed the door happily as though she was getting out of prison. Luckily for her, thanks to her running, she managed to dodge that one. We ran to Muchiko's 'temporary' third floor apartment, pushed the door that was already opened to Muchiko's living room. The locked room with the towel girl from before was still locked. I really hope she wasn't dead. Muchiko, on the other hand, looked stumped in confusion. So much for being the smart one. ''Whats the problem?'' said Natasha. ''I thought you was smart enough to solve anything.'' ''Uhhh, is the girl behind the door alive?'' I said, really worried. ''Yes I checked. She's fine.'' That was a really nice sigh of relief for me. I know that Muchiko wouldn't really trap anyone in a locked room like that. Then again I really didn't know Muchiko that well to see what she was capable of. She did randomly slash my friend Chris during a normal tutoring session all because he tried his best to grope her. I was a bit scared to think of what happened between these two. ''So did you decipher the message?'' said Natasha. Muchiko started to pace around the room again. ''That's the problem. It's a riddle...sort of. Not an adult riddle like those complicated ones you see in books or websites. It only said, 'I'm in a place where I can be trusted.' That's all, which is still confusing.'' Natasha was in deep thought, while I pondered my head as much of European history as I knew. I didn't know a place where someone could trust her in all of her killings lately, or all of the other stuff. ''Wait. Maybe it's to throw us off. Maybe she's still in Germany,'' I said. ''I doubt it. The thing about my sister is that she really loves to travel,'' said Muchiko. ''Maybe Belgium?'' said Natasha, but Muchiko shook her head. So we had to think of another area and see what that country has to offer to qualify for ''trusting Harumi.'' It could be a popular area, or maybe a non-popular area. One or the other. This was going to take some time to eliminate some of the countries where we thought or didn't think Harumi would end up. I swear I really didn't consider World History a subject that would have mattered in the real world. Especially when you have to use your knowledge of history to find a homophobic maniac. After a huge debate, it was down to three countries, and not surprisingly, they turned out to be tourist attractions: France, Italy, and Spain. Natasha randomly threw Spain in the list because it was a place she wanted to visit. Real weird reason if you ask me. ''Well, what's similar about these countries?'' said Muchiko. Both she and Natasha looked at me, expecting an answer. I was completely dumbfounded. The only thing I recognized was that all three had almost the same language. Suddenly, once again, it hit me once again like a stack of Jessie's celery. ''Girls. Get packing. We're going to Italy,'' I said. ''Good, but first, we're going clothes shopping,'' said Natasha. Muchiko stopped her. ''Why waste your money on clothes since we got some clothes here?'' I was hoping Muchiko was at least joking about that last comment. As soon as I saw her enter the locked room, and pushed the girl back outside to the hallway, she really wasn't joking. The girl, with clothes this time, began to get really upset with us. Of course Natasha and I did not understand the language. Muchiko came back, taped her mouth and tied her to a chair. ''Natasha, come with me. And you Kathy, no matter how much she persists or begs, do not let her go free, understand?'' said Muchiko, her eyes glaring at me. I nodded my approval slowly. They both entered the room, while I was left behind to babysit a tied up girl who, according to Muchiko's thought process, was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I felt bad for her. I wanted to at least pull a little piece of the tape off her mouth, but I was afraid that Muchiko would probably notice it and beat me for it. So I looked away to try and not get distracted or tempted to at least free her. I really wanted to, but since everyone we meet in this journey would either get killed or tortured, it was a smart decision for Muchiko to leave her here. We just had to make sure the door was locked when we left. She was still trying to talk, and trying to escape. The object used to tie her up was rope, which I obviously knew was Muchiko's. I probably figured she kept rope in her belt in hopes of scaling a mountain, or just using it to tie people up. She can come up with the craziest ideas for objects. After about six minutes or so, Muchiko and Natasha came out with a suitcase each. ''Dont worry about a thing Kathy. I got you some nice stuff to wear,'' said Natasha. She tossed me a pair of sunglasses. I would've guessed Muchiko took only dresses from the closet. The question was, how many did this stranger have? ''Oh, I almost forgot,'' said Muchiko. She took out one of her trusty small knives and cut the wire that connected to her telephone. She went back to the room, then went to the bathroom, and I heard a flush. ''Well, there goes her cellphone,'' said Muchiko calmly. I mentioned numerous times how crazy Muchiko is. I have a feeling there's more to this than I previously had hoped. All of a sudden, Natasha tosses Muchiko the girl's car keys. ''O.k, I think thats going too far,'' I said in protest. ''What do you mean?'' said Natasha. ''C'mon, taking her car? Isnt that a little harsh?'' ''You know what? Your right.'' She looked at Muchiko. ''We'll take her credit card and go on a plane.'' ''O.k fine. But whats her password? I assume you're not a hacker.'' Natasha looked at Muchiko, then at me. ''Just watch,'' said Natasha. While she was approaching our tied up friend, Muchiko went on her computer. I stood there watching the two. Separated, they make very interesting individuals. Muchiko, the nerdy dark goth who seemed to enjoy the odd world of science; Natasha, a party going Russian chick who looked most of the time out of place, but really made up for it. Combined, that would be an explosion of weirdness that would take months to clean. That was something I wasn't really fond of doing. I'll like to keep my bombs separate, thank you very much. Natasha approached the girl, pulled out the knife, pulled the tape off and said ''Tell us your credit card password or I'll open up your neck and look for the password in your throat.'' ''Uhh, dont you mean brain?'' I said. I couldn't believe I actually became a part of that crazy diologue. Muchiko waved her off. ''Dont worry. I hacked her credit card info. We're good.'' She got up from the chair, and I was about to speak when she interrupted me saying, ''I warned you. Dont you compare me to her. Understand?'' I gave her an understandable salute. Natasha put the tape back covering the girl's mouth. ''You'll be alive for us right?'' she said, petting the girl on the head. She didnt move. ''Can we just go?'' I said. With every minute that passed, I was getting a lot more afraid that something was going to come out at us and, in a scary way yell ''surprise.'' I just wanted to leave as quickly as possible. There was a knock on the door. The three of us stood there frozen in the living room. Another knock. Still we stood in our exact same spots. Muchiko walked softly to our tied up friend, took another liquid from her belt, a napkin, poured a small amount, and stuffed it on the girl's nose. Obviously, whether it was chloroform or not, any chemical that had "property of Muchiko" written on it was either one of two things: poison or something that can knock you unconscious. On both, I would add drinking water on it; I don't know where her type of water came from or what it composed of, and I was really scared to even conjure the thought in my brain; that will give me nightmares for weeks. Finally the knocking stopped, which was a good sign, considering we knocked out the person who owned the apartment and worse, what came next. A huge pounding of the door followed, knocking me off my feet to the floor. Muchiko motioned me to stay on the floor while she quietly tip-toed to a table and set it behind the door. Then, with the help of Natasha, she carefully moved a couch which she and Natasha lifted right side up. They stepped two steps away from the door and waited. I was even more surprised Muchiko didnt use any of her chemicals as a trap. That would have been much more of an adult thing to do, rather than the childish maneuver of blocking a door with furniture. I assumed Muchiko read my mind on that one because what she did next surprised me a whole lot. Muchiko poured liquid on the door and lit a match. It obviously lit on fire, but I wasnt ready for what happened next. She grabbed me and Natasha while we dived to the ground. The door exploded. The tied up girl, was flung to the kitchen. The chair protected her back and she was o.k. That was always a good thing: to see the person you take hostage come out alive after a near death explosion. That way, she can probably say something along the lines of, ''My captors blew up a door, but I came out unscratched. They were really nice to me.'' That last sentence should really only be regarding myself. I really didn't think neither Muchiko nor Natasha would've treated her nicely. ''You girls alright?'' said Muchiko. ''Are you crazy?'' I said. ''We could've gotten killed.'' ''That must mean shes o.k,'' said Natasha, getting up. I still havent figured out the part where Muchiko thinks this whole thing is a game. This has to be some type of dysfunction in her past. ''Geez Muchiko, this isnt a game. Havent you played on a Nintendo D.S before?'' I randomly blurted out. ''What the heck is a Nintendo D.S?'' she responded. Natasha and I just simply looked at each other. ''Nevermind.'' We took our bags and started to leave when suddenly more police officers began to come up the stairs. We ran back inside and into the room, where there was a fire escape. I really love our luck in finding these escape routes. There was one problem: below us, there was a bunch of police cars on the street. We climbed up the stairs to the roof. I was more frightened than ever. I didnt know much about German law enforcement, but what got me afraid was how they was going to punish us. "I assume you have a helicopter in your belt of goodies,'' said Natasha. I actually agreed with her on that one. We were cooked. ''Any ideas smarty pants? We're probably going to get tasered to death of whatever they do to people up here,'' said Natasha. The idea of getting tazered was not in any way, shape, or form a really good way to stay alive. The only way that could be topped is if I lived with Muchiko for forty-eight hours. Very very scary. ''I sure you dont have jet packs in there?'' said Natasha. I felt like I stole Natasha's words out of her mind. Muchiko saw that the feds were closing in. ''Keep them busy, while I make rocket fuel,'' said Muchiko. ''Your joking right?'' said Natasha, but Muchiko already ran into a corner. For once I really have to agree with Natasha. The two of us, against a whole squad of german police. I'm assumed all of this was started by Natasha smacking out the poliemen's cap. The cops were already climbing over to the roof from the ladder, weapons drawn, aiming at us. I really didn't consider us to be carrying any weapons, or in a very lesser extent, carrying any viruses. They were probably wating to shoot Muchiko, seeing as how dangerous she dresses and makes it her daily routine. Hey go right ahead. Natasha was about to get up and fight them, but I held her back. ''No you idiot,'' I said. ''You wanna get killed?'' ''Hey, she said to try and hold them off.'' ''Yeah I know. This is just a distraction, remember? I seem to recall you were really good at those.'' That made her shut up. The cops ordered us on the floor. I didn't understand them, nor did I understand the charges against us. Clearly, this was a really bad case of understanding a high ranked official. So if anyone told me that I was in trouble for anything at all here, I will just say, ''Hey it wasnt my fault, just a huge lack of understanding. Nothing personal.'' So then they slapped the handcuffs on us. Natasha and I were looking around, at the same area that Muchiko was hiding. She didn't even come out. We were let down slowly from the ladder and thrown into a van. Over the large crowd that gathered to see us taken away, there was the familiar cap of Harumi among the crowd. Probably laughing and probably confused as we were about the disappearance of Muchiko. We were thrown into a police truck, along with another criminal we've never seen before. He was a man, early 40s, with a business suit, bald, and with glasses. I really had no clue what he did wrong. Natasha whispered in my ear that he was probably some bank teller who was probably shaken up by some argument that he stabbed someone. To me, he didn't look like the stabbing type. We felt the truck move as began to drive. To my right, I already saw Natasha trying her best to break free. ''You need a key for that,'' I said. ''No I don't. You can also use some grade-A strategy to open even the simple things,'' said Natasha. ''What, like a magic spell?'' ''Hey if I did have Muchiko's belt, we wouldn't be in this mess.'' That's her version of a random magic spell kit. ''So what are you talking about?'' ''Take his glasses.'' ''Wait, what? Are you crazy? If you haven't noticed, I'm handcuffed too.'' ''O.k, I guess I'll do it the hard way.'' She took a deep breath and began to at least attempt to pull off the handcuffs manually; that is, she tried to slide them off her hands. I really did not know how this would work in her favor. The honest thing is, in all my years watching the news and stuff, I never seen any criminal even attempt to do what Natasha was trying to do. The man in front of us remained quiet, trying to make out what Natasha was attempting to do. I watched her closely jiggling with the cuffs. ''You need any help there?'' I said, but she gave me no answer. Slowly, the cuffs started to slowly slide down. Followed by huge amounts of blood. She started to grimace very much in pain. I mean c'mon. I know I would as well, trying to slide something metal that was cuffed to your wrists in a ''cuffed'' manner. I was starting to freak out. ''C'mon stop it! Muchiko would be here any minute and save us,'' I said. ''Not a chance. A minute is too long in my book,'' said Natasha. At least she answered me. Slowly, it started to loosen around her, with more blood falling over. I have no idea how she was still able to move her wrists after all that blood loss. I had to admit that I've seen people give small cuts to their wrists in an obvious depression state. I tried to do it once. I was extremely upset about a grade I got, that I thought it was all over. I've never seen how it is done, which I should have looked it up, but I tried to attempt it. Jessie went into my room and stopped me. I still remember that moment since I couldn't figure out for the life of me how Jessie snuck in my room without making a sound; I still didn't know what was her original reason for going into my room. Nevertheless, the way she stopped me was very comical: she tackled me to the ground, chokes me a bit forcing me to drop the small knife, picks up the knife from the blades' end, and flushes it down the toliet as if it was a bomb. After that very random moment, I still did not hear anything explode. She came back into my room and the first thing that came out of her mouth was the following: ''If you dont tell me the reason as to why you put yourself through that, then I swear to you Kathy, the cut I'm going to give you, is going to be so big, you'll be in and out of hospitals and psych wards for the rest of your life.'' Her tone of voice was crystal clear: Jessie was really going to do it. If she could, she would bury me alive. So I showed her my bad grade and she laughed. ''What? Is that all? And you're going all sugar happy over it?'' said Jessie. So she gave me a huge pep talk about how she wants me alive and that if I'm not alive, she's gonna stay with mom and dad for the rest of her life as her punishment. Very clearly, she added, "If you die, then I die in the future. Then I will really beat you down in the afterlife. Understand?" I gave her a nod and she left. Now in Natasha's case, it was really disgusting. But, it was a miracle watching it. I mean, it was almost off her wrists. She tried her best not to scream in pain, while me and the "bank teller" watched with nervous looks in our eyes. It was just like watching a magic show: very amazing, but it would really leave me shaking in my boots as to how she did it. After about four minutes, the cuffs hit the floor. ''Natasha, please tell me your o.k'', I said. She looked at her hands and was really surprised of the amount of blood that was used to get her free. Natasha ran and knocked over the guy's glasses without any given protest. ''Relax,'' she said. ''We're just taking your glasses. We'll give'em back.'' Obviously, he did not understand. It just goes to show you no matter what you do in a very foreign country, it really doesn't pay enough money to at least understand the absolute meaning of sign and body language. I didn't see how Natasha freed me, but she got it done. Then, without a care in the world, she threw the glasses back at the guy, breaking them while they hit the wall. ''Hey'', she said. ''Can't free you. Your crime is much worse than ours.'' I laughed a bit, which then I noticed I shouldn't have done that. The truck made an absurd stop which knocked me off of my seat. ''Hey Kathy, no one told you to laugh at that one,'' said Natasha. The guy that was with us was nervous and freaking out. ''Hey quiet down. I think I heard something,'' I said. Everyone stopped. I heard dead silence. Something in my head told me that something bad was in no doubt going to happen. And arguments with your head are arguments you can never win. If you do, they might threaten you with a headache, or worse. The truck started to tip over a bit, then back to its normal position. Only in roller coasters would I find that movement really amusing and somewhat scary. This was worse. Who knows what we were falling into. There was one element however, I really, really didnt want it to be. Natasha tried to open the back of the truck, but it was bolted shut. ''Dang it! Nothing!'' The guy in front of us remained quiet, as if he had an idea to get us out of here. I wasn't falling for that old trick. If we free him, he might as well killed us both and broke out of here. I began to bang the front of the truck. ''Hey, we're in here!'' I yelled. I guess me banging the front of the truck was a bad idea because, once again, the truck started to tip over. I scurried back to the other side, held by Natasha and her bloodied hands. The guy went to our side too. At least without me and Natasha telling him, he obviously understood the fact that if he just sat in that area, he was going to die. Once again, we stayed there in silence. This was turning out to be a really bad movie scene. ''So now what?'' said Natasha looking at me. The truck tipped over. That was a really nice mature answer. The three of us were thrown into the front wall of the truck. Getting hit hard in the back with steel was really painful. What felt worse was the splash that the truck made. Oh please, please let that be the splash of rocks. The truck apparently did not listen to my plea, as water began to seep in the back. ''Great, a nice watery grave. I never was fond of getting buried underwater,'' said Natasha. The truck was vertical. That was a good sign; horizontal meant that it would've sunk faster and thus more water. More water meant Natasha's dream of a watery grave would come true. I really didn't want to be buried next to her after she made that crazy thought. "Hey, help me up to those doors. There's got to be something to knock those things open," I said. ''And where will you find it? Is it microscopic?'' said Natasha. "Just trust me on this one o.k?" Natasha grabbed me and threw me as I held on to the seat. I hoisted myself up as close to the doors as possible. There was no handle, no locks, no anything. Then I heard a buzz saw sound from the other side. ''Hey I hear something,'' I said. ''I know. Don't we all?'' said Natasha behind me. It wasn't a chainsaw, but then I saw something green come out from the metal doors. It looked like slime, but if it was one of those slimes that was made by Muchiko. I really wouldn't dare touch it. I turned around behind me. Natasha and the man were still standing there, water coming in their area slowly, but it was getting to her knees. The slime broke through the metal. "HEADS UP!" I yelled. Natasha had long orange-reddish hair, and she looked like the type of person who takes care of it everyday. I would've felt really bad if some of this slime got on her hair. Instead, Natasha climbed on the guy as the slime landed on the water. It had some sort of reaction. Natasha was about to pick it up. "What are you doing?" I screamed. "Hey it looks friendly enough," said Natasha. I looked back up to see the sunlight. As I climbed out of the truck, I saw that we were 4 miles off shore. I guess the water current was pretty fast. I was expecting Muchiko to show up; since she was the only person I know who would make a surprise move like that. Instead it was no one. ''Hey Kathy, a little help here,'' said Natasha. ''What about him?'' I said. Natasha motioned him to go on her back. This wasn't about to go pretty for either of them. I laidd myself down with my arms extended to be ready to try and lift Natasha up. Not easy, I know, but it was worth a shot. Just then, I saw a hole to Natasha's left side, which was my right. It was Muchiko. She pulled the man out of Natasha's grip, holding his nose of course, while they both disappeared. Natasha was stunned. "Dang it girl just jump," I said. She landed on my arms, used her legs to gather more strength to climb, and pulled herself up to me. I gave her a much needed hug. "I was so worried about you," I said. Natasha let go and started to look underwater. "Where did they go?" I was a bit surprised as well. According to our truck boat, and by the way it was traveling, it looks as though we were heading west. I really didnt want to swim, but since the water was now coming up more faster inside, it looks like we had no choice. ''What in the world do we do Natasha?'' I said, with a worried expression. Muchiko disappears again, but at least she saved someone's life. That was cool, I guess. Natasha patted me on my head as she looked at the flooded truck. "We only got fifteen minutes. We better hurry," she said. "Fifteen minutes, till what?" I said. "Till either our boat sinks or we make it to land." She pointed to a strip of land that was a couple of miles ahead of us. "Ready to swim again?" said Natasha. I really felt as though I really didn't have the energy to do anything now. More or less, all I wanted was to get on dry land. Hopefully real soon. 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

"So, miss adorable MapQuest, where are we going?" said Natasha. "Don't worry, I'll figure it out," I said. The truck only had five minutes to live, and so far, with my adventures with water, I really didn't want it to sink. It would be my only life support on ground as the current was deciding where it was going to take us travelers. I had an odd feeling Muchiko knew where we were going a whole lot more than I did, and I will admit that is the first time someone has beaten me in a map puzzle before. The only problem I have in figuring out where we were supposed to go was the fact that we were secluded in a truck for what seemed like an hour. If I knew the angle in which we fell, and at least see if the current did indeed change in any way, shape, or form, then I would know exactly where we were headed. I had to relax, since I had very little time to figure this out. "O.k. lets assume that Germany was to the east of where we are," I said, very loudly in thought. Natasha cut me off right away. "We can't assume anything. We're literally lost. What if the current dies down?" I grabbed her and shook her a bit that I almost fell off our truck boat. "That negativity isn't helping matters right now," I said. "As I was saying, if Germany was to the east, then by the direction that we are going in now, that means..." I was interrupted by a large sound of a boat. It was Muchiko. "You girls look in need of a lift." "Well it's about time. You know you almost left me to die," said Natasha. "By the way you had the guy handcuffed, that wouldn't have seemed to be a bad choice of options," I responded. It was good to at least see that Muchiko was morally sound. I guess her heart wasn't weird at all. Saved someone else before her friends: how nice. She hoisted us in before the truck sank and made a U-turn. "I guess you're happy you didn't have to touch the water again, right kitty?" Muchiko said to me. That was really embarrassing. "So what's with the random U-turn? I thought we were going the right way," said Natasha. "Just because a truck goes in one direction does not mean that it was intentional. Don't you two learn anything? Have you forgotten the clue that was left in the sandbox?" I knew I haven't, which is why I did not choose Spain. "So you know where your sister is headed?" I said. "Yup. And you're going to take us there," said Muchiko looking at me. I was totally confused. Muchiko didn't give any hints of where in Europe we were headed. Al it was about was regarding some sandbox clue. We made it back to shore and Muchiko, being the brave black dressed goth girl that she was, broke into a white BMW that was parked near a seaport. A few people saw what was going on, and were barking at us. Most of them did not do anything. I mean a luxury vehicle randomly near a seaport? Why wouldn't anyone at least try not to steal it? Also, breaking the windows with your elbow has really got to hurt, but since I had a quick glance of a few "cuts" on her wrists, I figured as much she was a bit used to the pain. I watched her face as she broke the window; no squirm of pain of any kind. Muchiko sat in the front, while Natasha and I sat in the back. There was broken glass in the passengers' seat and there was no way we were sitting there. Muchiko didn't seem to mind. She didn't even brush them off. Natasha and I just stared at each other. Muchiko paused, took out a lock pick, jiggled with it in the keyhole for the car, and it started. I've seen people hotwire a car many times. I was even going to ask Jessie once how to do it, but she would always say the same thing: "You are not getting battery acid in your hands, o.k?" I already knew that there was no battery acid in the area where you hotwired the car, so I had no idea where she got that logic from. "Hang on!" said Muchiko. Seatbelts on, Natasha and I held on to each other for dear life. Muchiko blazed through huge amounts of traffic and scurried through a bunch of red lights. Twice we were almost hit by cars for going through those red lights. Just then, the cops started to chase us. Firstly, I had no clue where we was actually heading since the streets did not look vaguely familiar at all. Secondly, I would've been glad to turn Muchiko in. After all, hotwiring a car was really illegal in any country, among other things she has done. "Kathy. My back pocket, left side, 2nd from right," said Muchiko. She didn't have to tell me to hurry up. I already knew this was a very serious life or death situation. I took out what looked like spiked strips, the ones that police use to blow out the tires of criminals during those high speed chases. I have no idea how she got herself a hold of those. And also, I hope she has a good accurate arm to aim at the police rather than the ordinary drivers. "Hey you better be careful. I really do not have the money to go to court to get sued o.k?" said Natasha. Muchiko ignored her, turned around, and threw it. At least she was right on target and hit a police car, making it swerve and spin in the other direction. Muchiko, however, didn't have enough for the other police cars that were right in front of us. What luck. She made a quick right turn through another street, almost hitting a pedestrian, and whizzed by some passing cars. Fortunately, no one was going to smash us head on, since Muchiko turned through a one way street. "Geez Muchiko, cant you drive?" said Natasha. "You're all over the road." Muchiko looked really angry. Now I began to panic for our safety in the car rather than outside of it. "Relax, I know a well placed shortcut o.k?" said Muchiko. I did not think that Muchiko would know where a bunch of shortcuts were. It turns out that I was wrong. We went through an alley. "Out of the car, now." said Muchiko. Natasha and I did as we were told. Muchiko took out a key and opened the gas door in the back of the car. Without thinking for a second, she threw a lighted match inside. The three of us ran far across the street while the car exploded. "Gee that was really random," I said. "C'mon you two. Back to my place," said Muchiko. "Your place? You mean the one you borrowed that the cops almost caught us in?" said Natasha. Muchiko shook her head as we walked through nine blocks of streets. I was so afraid of whatever was coming our way. I had an odd feeling that there were all sorts of danger turned on every corner. Unfortunately, I was with Muchiko, so something like that was really bound to happen. We arrived in a much disclosed location. To put it really lightly, we arrived at a very shabby hotel. Not fancy like the ones I previously encountered, but hey, it was a fresh start. My train of thought was scanning through all of the possibilities of which someone like Muchiko would consider her "place of business." Well, my train did an absurd jump off the tracks. There was a woman there watching t.v. Muchiko ran and gave her a hug. That somewhat did not surprise me, with her considering herself a lesbian and all. The reason however that surprised my train and fell twenty feet to the ground was when Muchiko said: "Girls, this is my aunt Michiru. She knows very little English, so please be patient with her." She went on to explain a bit of her backstory to hopefully get us in light of the whole situation, and judging from what Muchiko was saying, Michiru was in more hot water than the three of us. Apparently, she was her father's sister, which was very much a bad start to her story. She wanted to help Muchiko because she also was an outcast just like her. Her father threatened to kill her if she helped Muchiko in any way because of her weirdness in being goth and a science brain. Michiru and Muchiko, with secret help from her mom, escaped. Together they built her "lab" and she left her alone. Not abandoned, but just close enough so that they can only contact through phone calls. Not even e-mails were safe. Now she called her aunt here to at least give us some much needed help, or at least a clue as to where we was going. Natasha, on the other hand, was still thinking Spain. Then Michiru said, in the best English she could: "Please listen. Harumi is heading for the one place where she can feel protected and as much feel like home. There is one place where she always wanted to go. Believe me, she will wait for the three of you there." Muchiko looked at Natasha with a look of concern. "You're our religious expert. I need you to be really awake, understand?" Natasha looked around. ''So where is she going? Italy?'' Muchiko nodded. I was all ready to go. This was one of the places I really wanted to go. "Wait. How did your aunt know we were here?" I said. "Of course I called her," said Muchiko. That was relief, until I saw Natasha staring at the bathroom, with a terrified look on her face. "What is it buddy," I said, leaning over to see what she was looking at. I saw nothing at all. "Natasha, what is it? Speak!" I said, shaking her to her senses. She was still transfixed in whatever she was looking at. Muchiko and Michiru were as confused as I was. I went to the bathroom. I did not see any goblins or little demons of that nature. Muchiko whispered something to Michiru. She took something from Muchiko's utility belt and was about to throw it in the bathroom. I jumped out of the way. It looked like brown powder. As it was placed in the bathroom, Muchiko took a match, lit it, set it on the brown powder and closed the bathroom door. Natasha, however just said, ''Girls, I dont think that's going to work.'' She began to step back really slowly, until she plopped on the bed. Whatever was freaking her out, she did not seemed panic stricken at all. I wish I was that calm when I was the only one who can see something no one could; my pants would be really dirty. "What? Is it a ghost?" I said. Natasha shook her head slowly. "Everyone get out of here. It's not safe." Michiru, Muchiko, and I all looked at Natasha. "What is it?" asked Muchiko. Natasha waved her hand in a gesture of silence. She grabbed me by the shoulder. "Do you see that? Below the sink?" said Natasha. At least she gave me a specific to look at this time. Sometimes, I really did want to smack her in the face for not telling me the exact things that were obvious. I never wanted to be left in the dark without any information and without a flashlight. I went a bit closer to the bottom of the sink, until I saw a small black hole. I shut off the light from the bathroom. And Natasha was right. A small stream of light was coming out of it. I snapped my fingers twice. Muchiko this time grabbed me and silently, we went to the hallway. I was about to knock on the door, when Muchiko stopped me. "Maybe the hole was there from before," I said. "No way," said Muchiko. "I won't believe that excuse for as long as I live." How long that was, was in fact a really huge mystery. Muchiko then took out her trusty C4 clay and was about to place it on the handle door, when I stopped her this time. "I hear something," I said. I held my ear at the door. Silence was at first, then came the sound of...frogs? No no, that couldn't be right. Muchiko still wanted to blow open the door. I held her back, when I saw the nails on the door hinges fly loose. "I think we better move it," I said. We went back to the room to see if it there was any improvement. Sure enough, there wasn't. Michiru was ready to leave and Natasha was still transfixed at the wall. It was starting to expand. "Well that's not a good sign," said Natasha. I grabbed her and was about to head out the door, when the wall bursted open and out came a huge number of frogs. If this wasn't a wakeup call to show that we were indeed being followed, then I really didn't know what would. Muchiko kicked the door open and we ran down the stairs, with a huge wave of frogs right behind us. "Whatever you do, don't look back o.k?" said Muchiko. "You'll lose your concentration going down the stairs and then you'll be really in for it." "Boy thanks for that one," I said. We went through the front door, with luggage all in hand. It was as if we had to make a flight to see the concert of the century. Either that or a bunch of fan boys dressed as frogs were chasing us. Whatever the case, we had to get out. The car that Michiru had was...well...a red corvette. Now I had the feeling where Muchiko's "bank account" was. "This is a really sweet ride your aunt has," I said. Muchiko lifted me up and threw me in the car. Natasha did not want to get thrown in the car like I did, so she gingerly hopped in. With me and Natasha in the back, and Muchiko in the passenger's seat, Michiru revved up the car and took off. The frogs were coming from every which way, but it seemed as though they were locked on us. Apparently, they didn't play fair. "Muchiko what do we do? I dont assume we can eat them all," said Natasha, trying her best to make light out of the situation, but failing. "Will you shut up?" said Muchiko, not gingerly, but with anger. I randomly took two objects from Muchiko's back pockets without her noticing. That only lasted about three seconds. "Hey hey. What are you doing?" said Muchiko. "Hopefully trying my best to get us out of this." "Wait! Those are the wrong chemicals!" It was too late. The mixture created a huge fizz, like holding on to snow, with an orange like goo in the center. I gave it a whirl and threw it in the direction of the frogs. Muchiko, Natasha, and I watched in horror as the substance flew into the air. The orange goo was now green and formed a bubble. The bubble let out a small explosion as it touched the ground. Small bubbles came out of it, like probably a million. "Everyone hold your breath," ordered Muchiko. Now that was an order I dare not disobey. We held our breath as the bubbles, now along with the frogs came rushing towards us. Muchiko gave the signal to duck, as did Michiru. Last time I had to hold my breath, I was in a place where I didn't want to be: underwater. So this whole thing depended on how long I would hold my breath. Knowing the crazy science that is Muchiko, I really had no intention of finding out what happened if those evil bubbles touched me without my breath. I glanced a bit at Natasha. She looked as though she was asleep. I hoped that she was asleep. Anything else that did not signify sleep was going to be real problematic for all of us; for Natasha was our religious coordinator, as well as my temporary big sister. Surprisingly, we swerved through huge lanes of traffic and we almost arrived at the highway. I took a quick peek behind the car to see the huge commotion. The bubbles latched through some of the frogs, and I really mean some. The rest latched to some cars and some people. From what I saw, it looked as though it sucked away their air straight from their bodies, which afterwards, popped. Oopsie. I really didn't know it was going to be something that deadly and dangerous. As we made it to the highway, I finally let go of my breath to get another shot at breathing. A bubble rushed towards my direction. I held my breath again in sheer panic. That was really creepy. Then the same bubble laid itself in Natasha's nose. I tried to signal for Muchiko to help, but she was focused on trying to guide Michiru through the highway. So I tried to pop the bubble with my finger. Nothing. I tried my key that I had as a necklace. Still nothing. Then Muchiko pretended to have an argument from what I saw. And "accidently" one of her knives popped out of her pocket and landed next to me. How smart is this girl. So I used the knife and sure enough, it popped. Natasha woke up startled. "Did you just try and cut me?" she said. I guessed it was o.k to talk again. I was more surprised that the bubble didn't go after Muchiko. I should've known that she was immune to it somehow. "No I wasn't," I said, as I carefully placed the knife in Muchiko's lap. "Are the bubbles gone?" said Natasha. "Yup." Then the argument was so strong it stopped the car. I'm sorry, not the argument, the meter of the car that now read the "E" part, stopped it, not the argument. Sorry car, I really do apologize. We pulled over to the side of the road. From what I can tell, we were about three miles from the airport. "Ladies, can you please chill out?" said Natasha, trying her best to break up the fight. I guess they weren't pretending after all. It was obvious I did not know what they were saying, but it did sound bad. I just wanted to leave, before something turned randomly at us and was about to kill us. "Can we just go please? I really don't want something really bad to happen out here," I said. A gunshot rangout, and her aunt fell down, dead. Me and my big mouth. The little eleven year old girl was right across the highway from where we were with a gun. Muchiko wanted to literally crush her skull, from how her face looked of course. "Take the bags and head for the airport. I'm gonna take her down," I said. Natasha looked at me in disbelief. "You can't be serious. According to the tickets, the flight is in an hour and a half. You're not going to make it. Plus, ITS A FREAKING HIGHWAY!" "Just watch me," I said with confidence. I was confident on the outside, but inside, I was really shaking with nervousness. I mean, they were right and I was wrong. But I really did not want to show them that. "Well I know for a fact that I'm not carrying your stuff. So here," said Muchiko. She gave me the only one strap on book bag I had. They weren't my clothes, but since I've been carrying stuff that wasn't mine for the past couple of weeks, I might as well take it. "Your ticket is inside. Have fun," said Muchiko as she gave me a hug. She also slipped in something in my pocket. Sometimes she's weird, and other times, she's very lovable. Today she's both. They left as the eleven year old girl began to cross the highway. I had to at least give her this though; she was insanely brave to cross a very busy highway by herself without getting killed. I'm older than her, and I'm still sometimes scared of anything that could be creeping up in my bed. Thanks a lot Jessie. She uncocked the gun and threw it away. I removed the strap bookbag from my shoulder and placed it on the floor. It was funny that I was older, and I was like 2 inches taller than her. That really feels weird. "I'm sorry that I never had a chance to introduce myself to you Kathy," she said. "The name's Beatrice." Whoa. I finally get to stop calling her the eleven year old. It's good that she has something to call herself by. I thought for a quick second about the random "potion" that Muchiko gave me. I didn't know whether it was something I could use offensively or something I could just throw at her. She pulled out a knife. I took out the object that Muchiko gave me. It was a random small jar, which had a knife as well. Now that was what I called a lucky guess. "You think that small knife is going to do anything to me?" said Beatrice. "Trust me, it truly is worth a shot," I said. With all of the cars passing by and such, I was a bit upset and disturbed that no one came to at least stop us from getting started. The frog and bubble situation was pretty far away and I understood that people wanted to get out of town really quickly, but at least drop by and say "hi." Beatrice lunged at me. I turned to the right and blocked it with my knife. I thought that my knife was the stronger of the two. Instead of cutting it in half like I hoped, it just showed off sparks. I tried to attack, but she held the knife there close on her body for a clear block and almost flung my knife away. I got to learn to get a better grip on things like this next time. I faked an attack with my knife and gave her a punch on the face. She startled back almost falling. "That was pretty good Kathy," she said. Letting out a smoke bomb, she disappeared. The smoke cleared and she was nowhere in sight. "Coward," I muttered to myself. I took my one strap bookbag and started to walk to the airport. Walking seemed boring, so I decided to jog. Natasha said earlier that the flight was going to be in an hour and a half. I know it was going to take them longer: unless Muchiko had a plan to cover up her utility belt with those knives, I knew they weren't getting on the plane anytime soon. Knowing Muchiko, she had a way to get out of that little roadblock. As for me, jogging was not a problem. The only problem was that jogging on one side of the highway to the other had me most worried part at all. I was calm, seeing the drivers go more than ninety miles per hour and not crashing into me. The big problem was the random arrow that punctured through my left leg. "How in the world are you still alive?" I said. With a laugh, Beatrice was gone. I recalled in my head that Harumi was the expert of Biology type weaponry according to Muchiko. I also knew that being immortal did not exist...I hope. If there was, then that person wouldn't live any rules of happiness. I kept on jogging closer to the airport, this time more carefully. I wasn't stupid enough to use my phone. I was scared that it was bugged, or that my phone would've get shot down. Now it started to get really cold. Guess it was normal for Germany to get really cold. It was more normal for myself to jog in this type of weather; it never bothered me. I saw the exit that was leading to the airport. I didn't see Beatrice around. I don't even want to show my own face around if I was stabbed in the eye. I looked through my strap on bookbag to see if everything was all good and stable. I saw clothes, shoes, the plane ticket of course, and a nice looking bomb, which had a timer of fifteen minutes. How very wonderful. A gift I always wanted. What made this even more interesting was that, unfortunately, it was stuck. Wrong word. It was glued to the plane ticket. Also, I was heading to an airport. They wouldn't be really happy to see an American girl carrying a bomb to an airport. Even if I told airport security my story of "Oh there was an eleven year old who probably snuck a bomb in my bookbag and has a huge cut in her eye if you wanted to find her," wouldn't cut it. But how did she sneak a bomb randomly like that? No time to think of that now; that answer will come later. I arrived right on the entrance way and I stopped to at least try and figure out how to remove a bomb without the help of fingerprints. I was scared. I was also scared that someone who saw me would probably scream. Within two minutes of looking through how to remove it while avoiding on-lookers, two black gloves grabbed my shoulder. It was all over. "Come with me," the voice behind me said very deeply. Not German, but scary enough. I was led through a corner from the airport. I was still freaking out and I had no way of even turning around once. I may as well face my fate. Hopefully telling the person that we only had twelve minutes to live could be a really good and well-designed excuse. I was sat on the floor with my bookbag opened right in front of me. I didn't know what the person was going to do. Hopefully, the person was an expert on disarming bombs. I stayed seated on the floor, while the gloves opened the bookbag a bit more. The bomb flashed ''eight minutes.'' Man, I hope the gloves would hurry up; if it took any longer, my pants would be dirty, again. The gloves took out two red scissors: one cut the glue off, and the other unscrewed the screws that connected the bomb. The red wire was cut and the timer shut off. In relief, I fell back and saw my captor upside down. Red wig, red glasses, blue eyes, and that smile. "You know you shouldn't scare people like that," said Natasha. I didn't care what view it was, it was probably the best smile I have ever seen. I sobbed a little. "Now I saved your life." I smiled, but then I said, "So where are we going to put it? It is still a bomb." Natasha thought for a moment. "O.k. I have an idea." She lifted me up from the floor and I began to cry. I missed my sister so much, that Natasha was starting to be less like a temporary sister and a whole lot more like a permanent sister. I kept crying so much, I really couldn't stop. Natasha looked at me. "Hey hey I know why you're crying. I guess cosplayers don't save your life everyday," she said. Well, she was wrong on the reasoning part, but it didn't matter. She was right on that account. "So what's your plan on the bomb?" I said, softly. Natasha gave a smile. She grabbed it and threw it with an arm that I would only see and notice by either quarterbacks or outfielders. It exploded as soon as it hit the ground. "We gotta move. Don't want people to suspect us." Muchiko appeared swinging her arms; telling us to hurry up and move. I was happy that my stuff was safe. I wanted all of my friends safe. Even if they were really weird like Muchiko. Losing her would really make feel upset. And when someone like her is gone, you have two ways to celebrate: either with a funeral or a cake. I have to remind someone to make my cake chocolate. She turned to us. "C'mon. We don't wanna be late for our flight," she said. ''Hey stop!'' I said to both of them. I eyed Muchiko right in her eyes. She was creepier up close. "What is it?" she said. "How did you get all of this money, and our clothes and stuff?" "From my aunt of course" "And how did you know about Natasha's Grell cosplay?" "Because I remembered it, duh. I just guessed at all of the measurements." There goes all of my questions answered in one sitting. Natasha was happy that no explosions were in any part of our equations. ''Hey you know for a fact that we are going to be late for our flight. So can we get a move on?'' We all agreed as we hiked back to the airport. I told Muchiko and Natasha about the fight with Beatrice. "So did you win?" said Natasha. "Hey, you did have the advantage in the age department." "Well sort of," I said. Then I told them both about the eye stabbing and how she was still alive afterwards. Muchiko threw my strap on bookbag to the chair really angrily. "I really can't believe Harumi would go to great lengths to put someone through that." "Hey can you fill us in? Put through what?" said Natasha. I had a strong sinking feeling that Muchiko knew a lot more of what was going on than we bargained for. "I'll tell you both when we're on the plane," said Muchiko. Which sounded like a good idea, since we were seated all in the middle of the plane on a three seater aisle. I was a bit embarrassed; for starters, I was the only one of the trio that did not have any sort of cosplay on. However, I felt a lot better that I was the only one of the three of us that didn't look weird. Still, it would have been a nice gesture to at least offer me a costume. I assume neither of them know about good manners or courtesy. We went on Delta Airlines about six rows back. I sat in the middle, with Muchiko to my right and Natasha to my left. We were ready to hear the story when the plane began to take off. It kind of took us by surprise. That's what we get for getting so hyped up for a story that would probably feature words and objects we didn't even recognize. As the plane was calmly in the air, Natasha was getting pointed at by the rest of the passengers. Unfortunately, an eleven year old boy was sitting behind her. ''I promise to tell you the story when we land,'' said Muchiko. ''It feels really crowded here. Who knows who could listen in.'' "Well there is a thing called 'talking low' so no one could hear you," I said. The boy started kicking Natasha's seat shouting, "Grell! Grell!" I whispered to Natasha, "Relax and remember: live and let live. O.k?" "Where you hear that from?" she said. "Of course from my sister. Just calm down. I'm sure you probably get this much acceptation during conventions." Natasha gave a small smile. "Yes that's true. I'm pretty sure that I, cosplaying as a sexy shinigami, can always handle any attention." I laughed. Muchiko turned to me and said, "Listen, don't let Beatrice's actions get the best of you. We have our own target to deal with." I nodded. As much as Natasha can make me laugh with almost anything that she does, we had a job to do. No matter if we were getting paid or not. The boy kicked harder. Natasha turned around. "Hey buddy. Grell would like her beauty rest understand? You behave yourself, and I'll give you a lolipop." The boy started to kick harder. Natasha remained calm, or at least, I hoped that was the look of calmness in her face. "I think he would want some money," said Muchiko leaning in. The boy was about to kick the seat again, when Natasha grabbed his leg. "C'mon dude, cut it out," said Natasha. "Grell is getting really frustrated here." The boy stopped for four seconds as Natasha let go of his leg while it looked as though his mom was trying to calm him down, but was doing a horrible job of keeping him in check. He kicked the seat again. Natasha went up and left to the bathroom. ''Muchiko, do you have something to calm this kid down? I really hate to see Natty upset like this,'' I said. I turned red as the thought of me saying the word ''Natty'' to represent Natasha. Muchiko turned around, then looked at me. "Let Natasha deal with it. I'm sure she's old enough to deal with it herself," she said. I have to admit that it was a really cold answer, but it was an answer that had enough sense and enough heat on it that it could cut through steel. Muchiko then told me to not speak to Natasha when she came back. I nodded. It wasn't a big major problem of a problematic Italian child to bother a red-haired cosplayer, but then again, I had no idea what the customs were. Natasha came back around five minutes later and sat calmly next to me. The boy went to the bathroom. O.k, that was weird. Guess he must've thought Natasha left something in the bathroom. There wasn't anything to read in english so I waited patiently to see what Natasha would do. I also kept a sharp eye out for any dangers that may as well be stalking us. Everything looked normal, but that isn't to say it was normal. Natasha didn't speak and neither did we. The boy came back. He yelled "Scissors of Doom!" and stabbed a pair of scissors through the seat, almost landing on Natasha's back. Lucky it missed since Natasha was leaning in front of the seat. Her face was the face of pure anger. "STOP BOTHERING ME KID!" she yelled. A couple of passengers had to restrain her. I didn't see where he hid the scissors and neither did his mom. Muchiko was busy reading the magazine, not even paying attention to the commotion. I was about to help Natasha, but Muchiko held my arm and squeezed it tightly. "Hey she needs my help," I said. "Trust me, she doesn't," said Muchiko. Natasha was being taken away to the front of the plane. "Dang it Muchiko, are you insane? I don't think she is in any position to actually solve her own problem. The kid had scissors. He was the one who started this whole thing," I said. "Look at yourself. You're the one going crazy," she responded. Are you kidding me? The most insane person I have ever met is calling me crazy? When something among that nature happens, it could be of certain major reasons. Probably something happened in her brain that couldn't get fixed, which is why everyone to her is crazy except herself. I hate it when people are filled with self-denial. So annoying. I stayed opened mouth staring at her, still in disbelief of what she said. Muchiko took her hand, shut my mouth, and whispered to me, "Natty will be just fine." I just swallowed. Muchiko got up, and went next to the kid, ignoring flight attendants who told her to sit back down. "Relax," said Muchiko. "I'm good with handling kids. It's in my nature." Saying that is scary within itself. There's no way I'm going to call Muchiko to babysit my kids in the future. Who knows how many of them could end up in the hospital. Muchiko stared at the mom for a few minutes. Then called up one of the flight attendants. Finally snatched a laptop from another passenger, who was upset to see his laptop get snatched right in front of him. "Hey relax, I'll give it right back," said Muchiko. She took out a cord from behind her ear, and stuck it in the USB port. A video played showing the boy attempting to stab Natasha. As seeing the video, the flight attendants made their decision to release Natasha from the front of the plane and got her back to her seat. The boy and his mom were taken away. The missing scissors were under the seat. "Hey thanks a lot," said Natasha. Muchiko returned the laptop to the owner and waved her hand. "Don't mention it obviously. Just be sure to handle your own stuff on your own understand?" responded Muchiko. Natasha gave her a salute. A man stood up from eight rows back and said in perfect English, "Nice job there. And of course a nice looking dress." "Uhhh gee, thanks," said Muchiko. "I'm sorry for asking this, but are you a lesbian?" "Why did you randomly ask me that question?" "Just a lucky guess." "Oh." The man who looked to be in his 30s added what seemed to be a bit of frustration in his voice. Technically speaking, he said something that throughout this journey I did not want to hear, and neither did Muchiko. "Well wonderful. A lesbian just saved her girlfriend's life." he said. "Firstly, she's just my friend. Secondly, what in your right gives you the audacity to speak to me like this? You have something against me and the way I am?" "Yeah I do. It aint normal." Muchiko approached the man. "Would you like to have a fight outside of the plane?" Please tell me she was joking. Please, please tell me she was joking. "Natty, is she joking?" I said. "I don't want to alarm you, but I don't think she is." said Natasha. "So what do you say?" said Muchiko. The man laughed. "You're positive about this? How about I just smack you upside the head? There's no way I'm fighting you, you whore." With every word Muchiko became even angrier. "Kathy, come here a second." she said. I rushed over there. She took off her belt. "I won't be needing this." Handing me the belt, the man said, "What is that for?" "It's my science equipment." "Really? Lesbians can become scientists? Now that, we really have to stop." Muchiko looked around. People stared but no one came to her defense. Except for me and Natasha of course, but other than us, there was no one. Muchiko has been quiet, alone, and isolated from the rest of the world and we were seeing full circle as to why that is. Everyone ignored her sexual orientation. No one gave her a lift up. No one, except me. The man grabbed Muchiko and threw her to other passengers almost breaking the window. I ran to help, but the man shoved me aside. Natasha jumped over me and also came to help, but another person tackled her to the ground and held her there. "Hey what you want me to do with her Chris?" he said. Another Chris? Just wonderful. Natasha's hands were tied up. "Leave them alone!" I screamed. A third man grabbed me, and stuck a pen next to my skull. Everyone was in complete disarray; at least two of them took pictures. The flight attendants obviously did nothing. I really don't know how they got the job in the first place. The formentioned Chris I saw in the corner of my eye, was going to unzip his zipper on his pants. Oh geez, please not here. Anywhere but here. Muchiko saw this as well and knew what he was planning. "Sorry, but me and penis's don't make a good couple," she said and broke the small window. I've seen many movies, to at least figure out what was going to happen next. Muchiko spun out of the way as the wind started pulling on everything in its path. I hung on to a random seat. Natasha was getting pulled, when the boy who was bothering her before cut the substance that she was tied up on. Natasha grabbed the kid and held him to the seat. "Grell isn't letting go o.k?" said Natasha. The boy nodded and smiled. As for Chris and his lackeys, Chris couldn't hang on and was flown right off. He was hanging from the wing of the plane. Muchiko went out to the wing of the plane as well. I was so scared for her, I followed. "Don't do it, you idiot!" screamed Natasha. I listened, but I didn't respond. I carefully stepped out, with the assistance of another person hanging on for dear life. So far, only me, Chris, and Muchiko were the only one's outside; including some of the random plane equipment, and somebody's luggage. I felt really bad for that person. I carefully, very slowly, followed Muchiko behind her. The wind was too strong, so I ended up crawling. With the addition of it being really cold, I almost couldn't breathe. Just my luck. This is exactly why airplanes are pressurized for reasons like this. I really didn't know how Muchiko was able to stand, let alone walk. I had Muchiko's belt around my waist, but I had a feeling that there was nothing in the belt that could've prepared me for this situation. I knew Muchiko was a bit of a miracle worker, but I don't think it would be something like this. Muchiko approached Chris. "So what do you think of lesbians now? I can help you up and patch up the plane, but you have to apologize." Then the moment that surprised all three of us. Firstly, I had a huge fear of heights. This was exactly why Becky would always be the first one I would want to calm me down whenever I would tell her one day if I would get stuck on top of a mountain. I took a small glance below, and from the look of the buildings, Italy was about four minutes away. That didn't surprise me. It was the sudden turn the airplane made as it shifted forty-five degrees downward. I began to slip. "MUCHIKO! HELP ME!" I screamed. She turned around, which made Chris grab her leg and made her trip. I felt my grip loosening. I was scared out of my mind. Then Muchiko, who was about three feet from me, said something to me that I wanted to smack her if I wasn't hanging on. "Jump!" Did she just say that? Chris got up, and was starting to crush one of Muchiko's hands. I shut my eyes and let go. I didn't scream or anything. And surprisingly enough, this time, I wanted to land in water...wait, nevermind. Just ignore that thought. I started to cry; falling close to ten thousand feet in the air would probably do that. Of course knowing you're going to die as soon as you hit the ground would make the tears come out a whole lot faster. Just then a presence came from behind me. Of course I knew it was Muchiko. But Muchiko hates the color red. "Natty? What are you doing here? Where's Muchiko?" I said. Of course, stir up a conversation when you're about seconds away from dying. That would really be something awesome. "Hey, I'm here trying to save your life o.k? And according to the speed of how we're falling, we only got a minute and a half," said Natasha. She seeped through the belt to the front pocket, grabbed me, and let out a "HANG ON!" scream that almost tore my ears out. I looked to my left. The plane looked as though it was going to crash down in a nearby lake. That was good. I let out a bit of a sigh of relief. Natasha let go of a switch. A huge parachute was lifted as we soared to the air. The plane crash landed into the lake, nose first. My heart sank with fear. I was so sure it would float. I mean, it was heavy enough. "Why didn't it float in that lake over there?" I said. "That's no lake silly. That's the Mediterranean," said Natasha. We landed in a park where a bunch of kids were playing Frisbee. They gathered to see a red-suited cosplayer parachute down with a random American kid. They applauded. Natasha was out of breath as though she ran three miles. What a wimp. I woke her up. "We got to see what happened to the plane," I said alertly. So we got up and started to run; Natasha running more slowly that I thought. For someone who had a really nice looking body, she would sure get tired a lot. Natasha knocked off a bike rider and started to pedal. No one didn't have to tell me to ride behind her. I jumped and grabbed on to Muchiko, her red wig flying through with the wind. She didn't pedal as much and as confident as Muchiko was while she was in the Black Sea, but it was at least fine with me. Let's just hope that she was still alive. But I know for a fact that I'm not touching the water under any circumstances. I'm sorry, but water has been too clingy for me lately. 


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

"Pedal faster! Who knows if she's still alive?"  
"Hey can you first stop being selfish? There's more than one person in the plane."  
"I know, I'm just so worried."  
"It's been a while since I've ridden a bike."  
An argument bike riding through the streets of Italy. That is what Natasha and I have gotten ourselves mixed in. The good thing is that it's a whole lot warmer here than any place I've been in. Thanks to hanging out with Rebecca for so long, there were somewhat similarities between the Italian language and Spanish. Which was a really interesting fact. Only problem: I knew neither.  
The streets of...well whatever city this was...were mostly packed with tourists. I guess seeing a Grell cosplayer on a bike wasn't their idea of something common to see while visiting another country.  
"I saw a sign which looked to me that we're in Florence," said Natasha. "It ain't Spain, but it will have to do."  
At least Natasha was more alert than I was. It was a diverse populated area. Then I saw something that would've made Natasha's trip a whole lot faster and enjoyable.  
"Hey a scooter," I said.  
"We could've just looked for a horse but whatever," said Natasha.  
She threw the bike into an antique store, which of course broke a lot of statues inside. As she got on the scooter with me, she randomly said inside the antique store, "Sorry about that. It's my first time in this country. Not familiar with the customs."  
As we drove off, Natasha looked at me and asked, "Are you o.k?"  
I didn't answer. I just wanted to get to the plane crash site.  
As we arrived onto a gate overlooking the Mediterranean, the first person we saw getting people out was Muchiko, along with the boy that tried to stab Natasha earlier. The rest of the passengers were getting out as well. I didn't know what happened to Chris.  
"Hey Muchiko," I said.  
She looked up and saw us. Then unexpectedly, she threw herself to the sea. The divers and firemen who were there dived after her.  
"What the heck is her big deal?" said Natasha. I was also confused. Was I not supposed to call out her name? I ran to the far end of the sea. If Natasha ran with me, that would stir up a whole pile of suspicion. I mean, if you randomly see a Grell running by, you would probably assume there was a convention nearby. And if there wasn't, then you would still chase the cosplayer in an effort to at least randomly ask why the person was there. Kind of like what everyone was doing with Natasha right now, which is why I was elected to try and find where Muchiko swam off to. I went down below the jagged rocks and, careful not to touch the water at all, waited. Finding something black in a sea of blue wasn't difficult at all. Unless the black object was purposely trying to avoid me, I couldn't find anything. Then, about three miles offshore, I saw her. Drenched of course, but still alive. No matter what, I promised myself that I wouldn't touch the water. I extended my arms to give Muchiko a hug when she came close to me. She looked at me when I was about to move forward. Then she grabbed my hair and threw me down to the sea. I choked on so much sea water from that surprise, I almost drowned. I got up coughing as I saw Natasha come to where we were along with a huge crowd; probably Grell supporters.  
"What was that for?" I said.  
"You looked too dry," was her response.  
How nice.  
Natasha came to greet us. "You o.k?" she asked Muchiko.  
"Yeah I'm fine. It's not as if the water was poison."  
I looked at them both and realized how much combined knowledge they both share. Pretty intelligent cast if you ask me. Muchiko looked at me, snatched her belt from my waist, and rubbed my hair saying, "I'm glad you're alive."  
After almost drowning, then she randomly says that? Muchiko gave me a thumbs up and the crowd applauded. We went to a bench that overlooked the sea, as we watched the rescue workers work on the plane. The boy that tried to stab Natasha was o.k along with his mom.  
Muchiko sat in the middle, while Natasha sat to her left and I sat to the right, still coughing from the very excessive sea water that I swallowed.  
"Relax. You'll live," she said.  
Great. I guess those were some really kind words to tell someone. It was Natasha that spoke first. "So what happened to your friend? You know, the one that was left with you in the side of the plane?"  
Muchiko gave a deep breath. "He tried again to attack me, not realizing that his life was in danger. I had no choice but to push him off. He just looked so familiar to me."  
Whoa, now that was scary. Fighting someone who looked familiar?  
"Familiar to what?" I interjected.  
"I said I don't remember," replied Muchiko.  
"You think Harumi knows?"  
"Oh sure. It makes a lot more sense now that Harumo's behind it," said Natasha.  
"Sorry, but we got no proof of that one," I said. "Besides, how does she even know we've arrived?"  
Muchiko and Natasha looked at me like I was an idiot.  
"What, do you not realize how much of a grand entrance we made?" said Natasha.  
"Not to mention that we're easier to spot now, since you're in red cosplay," said Muchiko.  
"And you look like a chocolate chip."  
I had no choice to laugh at that one. But I had a thought in my head.  
"Girls, what if she does know we're here. What kind of traps would've she have laid out for us?" I looked at them with keen interest. Natasha looked lost, but Muchiko kept nodding her head. "What's wrong?" I said.  
Looking worried, Muchiko felt as though her world was going to collapse.  
"I really don't think I want to fight my own sister. This seems pointless. I mean, she's just confused about...about me."  
Natasha stood up. I guess she was either surprised that Muchiko was beginning to whine or that she was tired of her complaining like I was. Her face, along with the rest of the Grell outfit seemed to look angry. I never in my entire life, seen a costume look angry before. Guess there really was a first time for everything. From Muchiko's complaining to Natasha's "angry costume," things are starting to become really weirder by the minute.  
Natasha then began.  
"Listen you weird out gothic scientist. I really didn't want to go on this journey at all. But since I'm here, let me tell you it straight. Harumo freaking doesn't care at all anymore if you girls are sisters. She doesn't even know the word 'family' between you two. All she sees now is you being a lesbian, and she's not going to see anything else differently. You see me and Kathy here support you. We're a whole lot more like sisters than friends. We watch your back, and we respect what you are, unlike Harumo. Now you have a choice. You're a really smart girl and I know it won't be rocket science to figure this one out: you can either sit here and whine and think of a way to change your sister, or you can freaking defend yourself and beat up your sister into a bloody mess for attempting to kill you. Well?"  
I expected Natasha to smack her at the end of the speech; after that intensity of someone standing up to Muchiko, that's what I thought would come next. Natasha pulled me away from the bench as we took five steps away from her.  
I whispered to Natasha. "Are you sure all of that was entirely necessary?"  
"It was that or either steal stuff," sad Natasha. "Either way you put it, I'm not going to let our Goth girl not come into terms with reality."  
We stood there, with Muchiko sitting in the bench staring at the sea. After about five minutes, she got up and walk towards us.  
"Why did you tell me all of this?" said Muchiko.  
"It was for you to wake up," said Natasha. "But in reality, I don't want to see the same thing that I saw when I was little happen to you."  
"Which was?"  
Natasha gave a long sigh. I had a feeling she didn't want to tell this story at all. At least it would give us some insight on her ideals about all of this.  
"I was five years old. I saw two guys kissing. I didn't mind it at all. I actually thought it was kind of cute. A few people were pointing at them, shouting...those mean words people say to people like them. All of a sudden they were, stabbed by a mob. I was little of course, so I had no way of telling my own peace about it. I ran home, and told my parents what happened. They were upset, in a sad way, but still they understood what I was saying. They were worried that something like that would continue."  
I began to get worried as well. There was no peace, only injustice. And for what reason? For only a rainbow flag? Damn world.  
Muchiko looked right at us. I haven't seen her cry face to face, but I'm sure it was something I didn't want to see. She took a deep breath, and said  
"O.k. I'll take your advice." We gave each other a much needed group hug. Afterwards, we were interrupted by a whistle. Harumi stood there on a roof with a whole lot of her supporters, which also looked like archers.  
"So sis, having a touching reunion? I'm glad you and your party made it here to the wonderful town of Florence in style. Very crazy if you ask me."  
Muchiko stepped forward. "Harumi!"  
Harumi laughed. "C'mon. It's not like our dad's business partner Christopher gave you any trouble."  
"I knew it."  
Harumi stepped down from the roof and was able to land on her feet. It was only like two feet, but still, I wouldn't jump down that far.  
"You three are the worst pair of pieces of trash I've ever seen. And believe me, I've seen worse." Natasha went on the offensive and began to attack. A medium sized rock knocked her on the forehead and on the floor.  
"Nice try, you pathetic Russian Grell wanna-be," said Harumi. Muchiko and I didn't move. "So, you two wanna piece of me?"  
We just stared at her. She didn't change her appearance at all. Just a different colored shirt, which was red. Still, same pants, same baseball cap, and still the same hatred for her sister.  
"You said you wanted a piece of your sister, so why bring every gay person involved in your scheme. Leave them out of this," I said.  
I hoped that kind of helped. Harumi snapped her fingers twice. Not a good sign. It was going to constitute to a fight to the finish. Of course we were outnumbered, two to like fifty. If would've been like three, but Natasha was still trying to get up. It would be really tedious to try and get Harumi now when she was still armed and very much dangerous. Muchiko, not responding to Natasha's award winning speech earlier, tried her best again to reason with Harumi.  
"Sister please, don't put all of this among a group of people. I still love you."  
After saying this, Natasha got up. "Told ya' she won't listen."  
Harumi looked around to the group of cops and small army that were behind her, apprehending her group of friends.  
"Just surrender. Please. Just surrender," said Muchiko.  
We all surrounded Harumi. She was cornered. It was all over. She knelt down on the floor and started to laugh. The people that surrounded her, started to look at one another.  
"And what is so funny?" I said.  
"I assume you lesbians haven't read a bible before," said Harumi.  
Natasha was the first to answer. "So what does this have to do with you getting surrounded?" "My dear Natasha. You make it seem as though I'm hopeless to defend myself."  
Natasha looked confused and when Natasha looked confused regarding something from the bible, you know for sure that we were screwed. So she called out to the sky.  
"My friends! Eliminate these heathens!"  
We all looked up. A huge assortment of rainfire transcended upon the sky and was ready to descend upon the town.  
"Rainfire. How in the world did I forget that one," said Natasha.  
"I think you should've paid more attention in those retreats," said Muchiko.  
"Just run!" I said.  
I was upset that Harumi had time to escape again, but of course I was mostly concerned about our lives and others that we were willing to save. If there were people that needed our help, we of course would have to forget the enemy and help out those in need. That was our system.  
The three of us ran to what looked like an opera house. Muchiko claimed that it was safe but I begged to differ. I have never seen a building that could withstanda rain of fire before, and I doubt that even a small opera house would do the trick.  
We stayed put in a balcony when I found out what an idiot Muchiko made me feel. It was a small catholic church. Okay, would that stop it? There was a mass going on inside. No matter what, my mom told me never to interrupt any religious ceremony. Muchiko took one of her test tubes from her belt and flung it to the altar. Man, how many test tubes does she have? The tube let out smoke.  
As me and Natasha held our breaths, Muchiko screamed, "EVERYBODY OUT RIGHT NOW!" Everyone inside the church left, excluding the three of us.  
"Wait a second. Why are you getting them out? Isn't there a firestorm outside, idiot?" said Natasha.  
"Firstly, it died down. As you can hear, nothing is going on outside. And secondly, Harumi wants us, not them. I'm not letting people die for my sake."  
"Well it's funny you should say that. That guy on the cross died to protect everyone," said Natasha. "You really need to straighten out your priorities."  
Muchiko gave a shudder.  
"You know what I meant. I'm pretty sure Harumi wouldn't hold the whole city of Florence hostage. Besides, I really don't think she would bother even looking here in the first place for us."  
I thought Muchiko was the smart one. It turns out that she wasn't. A burst through the church doors revealed a very uplifting surprise so to speak. Beatrice came in, by herself. Call it odd, but from all of the stuff that I've been going through for the past month or so, this wasn't odd at all. She came with an eye patch on. Natasha laughed.  
"This? This is the girl that gave you so much trouble?"  
"Ummm, you have seen her before."  
"I know but, this is just too funny."  
Beatrice clapped her hands together, as though she was chanting a spell. Muchiko was the first one to react throwing a small pile of small garlic? It landed on Beatrice's' face. Muchiko ran and gave her a kick to the face.  
"Now speak! What were you trying to do?!" screamed Muchiko.  
"Sorry Goth girl. It's already complete. She will come to destroy you and your kind," said Beatrice.  
Natasha and I ran out of the door. What we saw was very unreal. A huge crowd was on the other side separated from us by a huge line.  
"Natasha, what's going on?" I said. "What biblical tale is this?"  
Harumi was at the center.  
"Oh did you forget the story of the people who betrayed Moses? You know the words which were spoken: 'depart from these evil doers, least you lose your lives. Well, I'll make it easier for you. As you can probably tell, these are all of the gays and lesbians I can find in this town. Bring me my sister right now, or else, 'the earth will swallow them up'."  
I hated situations like that. Why a situation where people get swallowed up by an earthquake? It could've been anything but that. Not today. Muchiko came out, with Beatrice held with one of her knifes.  
"Let them go, or else Beatrice gets it," said Muchiko.  
Harumi looked at her, really angrily. The thing that confused me the most was one question. "Hey Natasha, where's the police and army and such?" I said.  
"Don't bother asking that," said Muchiko, who heard me through a whisper. "She bribes them, or probably hypnotizes them."  
"ENOUGH!" yelled Harumi. "Either you let her go, or else when I drop this rod, this whole area will be gone. And they will be down below where they belong; where they will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."  
Man, she really knows her scriptures. I would honestly say, I'm in shock. Muchiko moved closer to where Natasha and I were.  
"So, you got a plan?" said Natasha. "Or are we just going to stand here like pin up dolls?"  
"We obviously can't get them freed. They all looked as though they are tied up. It would take a miracle," I said. Muchiko thought of something very peculiar.  
"Hold on to Beatrice Natasha. I'll be right back," said Muchiko.  
She gave her Beatrice and her knife and ran inside the church. For one thing, Beatrice looked calm. I was never calm when even Jessie pulled a small butter knife at me. She never believed me when I told her I got cut with one of those in my thumb once. The pain of that is still etched in my head. Who knew putting butter in bread could be so dangerous. Muchiko came back and it seemed as though nothing had changed about her. Unless you counted the rope that was in her hand along with bigger test tubes in her hand filled with unknown liquid. Doesn't take a scientist to know what's in those tubes after you come out of church.  
So once again, the "sister scientists" met in the middle, while me and Natasha -and of course a captured Beatrice- along with Harumi's party and the hostages watched as our champions met in the middle. A helicopter flew right over us. Wonderful that I'm going to be on national t.v. Please, not any more publicity.  
Muchiko spoke first. "I'm not going to surrender to the likes of you, unless you respect me once and for all, as family."  
Natasha shook her head. "She just won't listen will she," she said to me.  
"She's the type of person who won't give up. And that's the cool thing about her," I said.  
Harumi smacked Muchiko in the face. I swear I saw a tear slip out of Muchiko's eye.  
"I told you to keep away from my business, understand?" said Harumi.  
She was about to drop the metal rod to the ground. I ran as fast as I could to try and stop her. Muchiko stepped back and flung all three tubes at once. The first hit Harumi in the face, the other two hit the ground. The water leaked out of it, and sealed up the line, or crack, perfectly. "Well, there goes the miracle you wanted," said Muchiko.  
Harumi looked in shock. She quickly threw a test tube of her own. It was partly green gas. "Hold your breaths," Muchiko shouted at us.  
Beatrice elbowed Natasha really hard; she slumped to her knees, then ran to the green mist. Muchiko jumped on top of us, while Natasha covered me up. I had a little sniff at the mist. It smelled liked radishes. I got up, and convincing myself that it wasn't poisonous, walked to the area where Harumi was. They were all gone. The hostages were safe. Natasha and Muchiko got up to see that they were not harmed at all.  
As the green mist was blown away, we all gathered together. I was so tired of this nonsense, that I really wanted all of this to end. As Muchiko approached me, she stared dead in my eyes.  
"What is it?" said Natasha.  
I stared at her back. It didn't look as though she was going to kiss me. She looked more worried. Out of her dress pocket, she took out a small flashlight, exactly like the ones doctors use when they check your eyes and ears and finding out exactly what you have before you can even say what's wrong. I followed the flashlight as usual.  
"Are you sure you can see me? I mean, you're not blind right? You feeling o.k?" said Muchiko. "Well the light's blinding me if you must know, but other than that, I'm fine," I said.  
She shut off the flashlight and immediately said, "we only got twelve minutes."  
"Twelve minutes, for what?"  
"The green mist. That was launched at the three of us and only at us. The LG hostage crew was all o.k because...oh god..."  
Now I was frightened.  
"What dammitt! What is it?" screamed Natasha.  
"Me and you are fine. It's Kathy and the crew that will worry me. They all breathed the mist," said Muchiko.  
"Doesn't seem so bad," I said.  
"Well it won't be so pretty when all of you have the undying urge to start killing other people, and then yourselves."  
O.k. Now that was bad.  
"So what do we do?" I said. I didn't want to be a raging killer maniac.  
"Natasha, help me send the message to everyone about what's going on, and then we move them to the church," said Muchiko. "Kathy, you wait inside the church for us o.k?"  
I nodded and ran inside, preparing myself for the worst. We were rushed inside very quickly. Harumi was gone, so there was no reason to rush things. We were lined up in a way that surrounded the church from the inside. This was difficult to do, since after all, it was a small building. I trusted Muchiko with whatever she was going to literally throw at me.  
"Alright. No one move. Everybody lives," said Muchiko.  
I raised my hand. "Umm, don't you need a translator to tell the rest what to do? I mean, they don't all speak English," I said.  
Muchiko whisked my hand away. "No worried for a translator. They all did stand in place did they?" said Muchiko. "Now can you relax? I have to find a way to combat this poison oak mist." I was so freaking out.  
"So this whole time you knew what that was?" I said.  
Natasha looked as though she really wanted to strangle Muchiko.  
"I mean are you mad? You sure it is what it is?" said Natasha.  
With that sentence alone, even she confused me besides confusing herself, but she did have a point. Muchiko was keeping secrets of what Harumi was dong to us. Besides, we needed information as well. I don't know about anyone here, but I didn't want to die at a young age. Muchiko heading for the altar and trying her best to prepare some sort of cure with the stuff that she has on her science belt was somewhat very symbolic. Natasha wanted to help, but was politely shoved a bit away. She just stood there on the corner, like a bad kid on their "time-out." I understood that it was a life and death situation, but I wouldn't mind the help of a friend if I was saving another friend. Guess she didn't want her screwing up.  
We only had like six minutes left to live. I almost felt consciously to cut myself, but I stopped the urge. Then, I looked at the person next to me, and wanted to swipe at them in the back of the neck with my nails. Damn, it was already taking effect. Even the rest of the line started punching each other almost.  
"Hey Muchy, can you speed it up a notch?" I said.  
As soon as the words came out of my mouth, Muchiko stopped dead in her tracks. Natasha had a look of "uh-oh" in her face. I panicked inside.  
"Lucky you, I'm actually done," said Muchiko.  
I was stunned. "What did you make?" said Natasha.  
"Calamine cream. My own mixture...with vanilla," said Muchiko. "Now comes the hard part. And Natasha, this is where you come in."  
I kept my eye on Natasha, when all of a sudden; Muchiko grabs me and puts me in the middle of the long line. Muchiko was whispering to Natasha. She gave a frightened nod in agreement. Muchiko motioned everyone to stay quiet and to begin to breathe after the count of three. Some understood it, so they began to translate it to the rest. Natasha gave eight steps back from where I was standing. I wanted to really kill her. Damn, the effect again. Only three minutes remain. Natasha stood, waiting for Muchiko to count.  
"One."  
I looked at her, with a way that would translate to say, "Hurry up woman!"  
"Two!" Natasha launched it. It was heading right to me. I didn't know whether to duck or not, broken glass was not something I wanted in my head or in my hair. As it went to my direction, it started to sink down. It exploded into little fragments, which turned to be a white mist. We all started to take deep breaths and all of a sudden, the killing intent was gone. It spread throughout the area, so we all had a chance to be saved. I was happy of course; it felt like it was washed away from my body. Muchiko got a huge reception from the crowd, which numbered about thirty. She also got a kiss from all of them: male and female. Most of the kisses were on her lips, from the females of course. She just wiped them off with a handkerchief, as they all left.  
"I guess that was something you liked," I proudly said.  
"You meant the kissing part right? Not the saving you part? Neither of them were my type, so I was like 'meh.'"  
Natasha gave her a hug. "That was one crazy good job you did."  
"Thank you. I am however, running out of supplies. I may need more."  
That was probably the scariest thing I've ever heard Muchiko say. I know I couldn't even count how many chemistry elements she kept under there. Not to mention all of the natural "physics" items she had there as well, like a parachute.  
"We gotta head to Rome," said Muchiko.  
I started to scratch my head. From all of the maps that I do remember of seeing Italy, Rome was in the south. Not so south that we needed a huge drive.  
"We have to at least take a train there. My feet are too tired." said Kathy.  
Natasha, saw that I was worried and randomly grabbed a stranger and started asking for the train. Of course, he was scared and ran away.  
"Can you at least be more calm and patient?" I said.  
"O.k. You try it."  
I walked over to the center of the crosswalk while the light was red.  
Then I shouted. "Does anyone here know where the train is? It's an emergency!"  
Someone approached me and told me to head to the Piazza Della Stazione, located just a couple of blocks from the church that we were in.  
"Hey, I got the instructions," I said to them, running happily.  
"Well, good. We just found the Museum of the History of Science near here. It's a good place for Muchiko here to get some supplies," said Natasha.  
"So...you're going to rob a museum?"  
"Pretty much. Isn't it exciting?"  
Great. We're going to try and steal some supplies in a museum, which is probably beefed up with security.  
"Why in the daytime?" I asked.  
"Because that's where the security is most vulnerble," said Muchiko.  
This should be fun. Upon approaching the museum, which took us half an hour by jogging, Natasha almost collapsed. Muchiko and I just looked at her. It seemed to me that she was never fit to be a runner; as crazy as I thought she would've been.  
"Can I ask you something? Have you ever been training to become a ballet dancer?" I asked.  
As Natasha was gaining her breath, she said to me, "Firstly, I don't answer ridiculous stereotypical questions like that. And secondly, unfortunately, you are right. I did take ballet lessons, but I was never good at them."  
"Well, what happened?" I said.  
"I was too tall."  
Muchiko shook her head. "Can you guys knock it off with the history lesson? I'm trying to plan this in my head."  
"How about doing this...at night?" said Natasha.  
I couldn't help but consider this a bit of a funny moment, but I got back into reality and started to look around to check if there were any spies or suspicious people around. The suspicious part would be in the person of Muchiko obviously. After her, it would be the person who got more stares since we got to Florence, Natasha. Other than those two, everything seemed normal. Tourists and the like were taking pictures in front of the museum.  
One's thing for sure, I would probably be all over the place in a Galileo museum like crazy. I always will respect someone who was just fighting for his rights and protecting his own value and honor of his works on astronomy. I also don't like science, so all of that was explained to me by Muchiko. How boring. Muchiko went around the museum building.  
"Does she have some sort of blue prints?" I said.  
"Not that I know of," said Natasha. "Although that would come on as being really weird."  
I looked around. Still nothing. Now it was getting a lot odder and very random. Muchiko came back.  
"No booby traps around it." I stared open mouthed at her. "Is that what you were looking for the whole time?"  
"I thought you were looking for a way in."  
"Hey, I don't want to rush in blindly and get myself killed."  
Good logic. It looks like I had no choice but to join in. I led our little group to the walkway. My mind was still fuzzy during the simple fact that we were robbing a museum in the day time, when the tourists with cameras started to point up to the top of the museum. It was a dove. O.k. From what I could see and know about doves, they're really cute. More importantly, they have a huge biblical importance from what I remember.  
"See girls? That's a good sign," I said.  
"No. It is the sign of death...of course, according to Harumi," said Muchiko. "It's the complete opposite of hope."  
I began to get really scared. If the dove gave the blessing of the Holy Spirit, then...Natasha's look got really worried.  
"We have to at least try to shoot it down," I said.  
"Well, with what? There's nothing here. It's not as if we got some bow and arrows," said Natasha.  
"Hey Muchy, you don't have anything close that we can use?"  
Muchiko just stood there looking up.  
"It's me. I'm the one being bugged. But where?"  
Natasha pulled her away and shook her to her senses.  
"Listen. Stop staring and do something before it gets worse here," she said.  
Muchiko shook her head. I thought shaking her head would have been a good start to literally waking someone up, but it was a bit of a "too-late disaster." The dove was in the air, along with a huge assortment of crows. The crows started to peck the heads of everyone who was outside the museum. That's really a problem.  
"We go in. Save as many people as we can, get the stuff we need, and then get out. Understand?" I said.  
Natasha clapped. "Good job. Now you're being like a leader."  
"No time!" screamed Muchiko.  
So the three of us busted our way inside the museum. The crows busted through the glass windows, a small number of them heading for us. Too much for us to handle.  
"Someone grab a fire extinguisher," I shouted out.  
"Just keep running!" said Muchiko.  
Natasha stayed behind as one was clawing at her head.  
"Natasha! What are you doing?" I said.  
"Keep running and don't look back!"  
"But..."  
"Just go!"  
Muchiko punched a crow in the face and kept on going.  
"No time to waste time. We must keep moving."  
I looked back for a few seconds before I was literally dragged by the chest by Muchiko. Man, she is kind of heavy. We arrived at a telescope room. This was too easy. Nothing was happening. "You stay here. Don't answer the door to anyone."  
"But this is a huge door. Besides, what if you or Natasha want to come in?"  
"Sorry. I know the ups and downs and flaws of astronomy. I won't be coming in anytime soon. Just stay put, understand?"  
"You better not leave me here to die."  
"You know that's not my style."  
So she left, and I was stuck watching the stars. I sensed something behind me. I saw a bag. Oh boy. I opened it. There were only some rocks inside. Some of the stuff that was inside was mostly used on her little test tubes and stuff. So who in the world left it there? And who knew she needed some more? The bag looked too good to be true. I picked it up, put it over my shoulder, and started to walk around the astronomy room. It was still clear in the afternoon, so there was no reason to look at the stars on the telescope. Well, why not.  
As I approached it, the lights flickered on and a knife whizzed right past me. A red haired girl wearing nothing but black.  
"Hold it right there American," she said.  
I stepped back. Short hair, with a huge earring on her left ear with blue eyes.  
"Hey I don't know how you got in here in the first place, but you really need to practice your aiming a bit better. You must be blind or something."  
"You freaking idiot! I'll show you who needs practice!"  
She charged at me. I knew there was no way I would try and avoid her attack; I was basically carrying Muchiko's pack of goodies, so there was a good chance of my shoulder falling off. She swiped at my face. With my bare hand, I smacked the knife off. There was too much knives in my face lately. I don't think wearing a helmet would prove to not be useful no matter how much I imagined it would be.  
I gave her a punch to the gut. I knew if I broke one of her beloved items, Muchiko would really let me have it. I've seen too many Goth girls angry in my career that I didn't want the one person angry to be my new friend. Not in that crazy manner. The red-haired girl stepped back.  
"So, I see you got some fight inside that brain of yours. How exciting."  
Just once I would like to fight someone who didn't speak English. That's Harumi's weird way of picking friends of course.  
"Wait a second. Can I at least ask you...why are you for Harumi's way of thinking? I mean, don't you think everyone has rights?" I said.  
The girl stopped a bit. "Well...I kind of believe that theory."  
"Exactly. So why put yourself in this awkward position into helping someone like Harumi?"  
The girl paused and started to think. Finally, after thinking for five minutes, she agreed. I was simply happy I someone on our side without trying too hard.  
"O.k. Let's get out of here."  
She nodded. I took the lead and was about to open the door, when the sound of a gun being loaded was heard behind me. Oh boy. A bloody mess among the astronomy section. This was not on my "places to die" list.  
"Sorry, but you're not leaving here that easily," she said.  
I turned around and that exact moment, my phone rang.  
"Go ahead and answer it," she said.  
I answered it with fear. Not surprisingly from my point of view. Even more surprisingly was the voice of the person on the other side of the phone.  
"Hello there Kathy. I assume you acquainted yourself by my friend Shizume."  
"Harumi, what the-?"  
"He he. I do love the way you looked as you saw my ravens with fear."  
Ravens? Oh man. I thought they were just crows. Now it's starting to become a big deal.  
"Listen idiot..."  
She hung up. How very mature was that. Shizume was still staring at me. She motioned with her gun to the door. I stepped outside with my bag of treats as I got out of the hallway. Seemed quiet enough. I feared that if I let out a scream, then I was going to get shot in the back. That really won't help matters at all. We went by another area of the astronomy section, one of which I haven't seen before when Muchiko walked me in. Gee, some random area known to the other visitors, but unknown to myself. If the museum ever sends me a survey telling me if I enjoyed my stay, I'll just tell them everything of how I felt as soon as a gun was placed on my back.  
We walked slowly, her arm over my shoulder, pretending we were best friends while her other hand had the gun still pointed at my back. Some friend. More like a backstabber if you asked me.  
I tried my best in any way to signal to anyone of how bad my own situation had turned out to be. I guess the ravens were a bit of a huge pot to handle. We walked by everyone on our way out through an emergency exit no less, when right outside was Natasha with four other security guards waiting. Not surprisingly, she had a pistol drawn.  
"Gee, some friend you got there," she said, as Shizume pointed the gun at my head.  
"Thanks. I do have my own nice way of making friends," I replied.  
It was really weird that I was to the side of Natasha and not being grabbed as I've always seen people do. Has she never received any training?  
"Put the gun down, or I blow her head to the moon," said Shizume.  
Natasha came a bit closer. "Relax girly. I won't do anything stupid," she said.  
"I'm warning you. Put the gun down now!"  
Natasha gave a smile. She held the gun, not by the trigger, but by the side at a sixty degree angle. Don't ask how I knew that one. She extended her hand around the length of her shoulders and dropped it. The next thing that happened was so fast, it really did amaze me. After dropping her gun, which was still in knee length to the ground, with her left hand, Natasha pulled me away. Then with her right foot, she kicked the gun in the air, back to her right hand, and pointed it back at Shizume. Shizume was surprised. Of course, so was I.  
"Now, you're gonna call your boss and call off this killing nonsense, before I take it upon myself and make you an inch shorter. You understand?" said Natasha. "And don't let this costume fool you. I really can kick your ass."  
Shizume looked as though she was back in a corner. The good thing was that the proper authorities were actually doing something about this situation. Of course, this was a familiar feeling of déjà vu. When Shizume surrendered and Natasha gave the gun back to the officer, I turned to her.  
"Hey, where's Muchiko?"  
"I thought she was with you. Where did you get that bag?"  
"The astronomy section. I felt as though someone left it for her, or something along those lines." We were confused and scared out of our minds by that concept as the raven situation was now under control. The dove however, was nowhere to be seen. Of course not, I wondered. Doves can't attack people. But still, you couldn't help wonder whether Harumi trained it to be a killing machine.  
We waited in the front of a police styled yellow tape for fifteen minutes, while I see Natasha chewing gum. I had to ask.  
"Hey, is that the only cosplay outfit you wear?"  
"Not entirely. It's just my absolute favorite. It makes me look like me."  
"But I like it when you are you, not when a costume defines your personality."  
"Costume definition of personality? Hey, tell that speech to Muchiko."  
"It wouldn't phase her at all. She's a special case."  
"Speaking of, look who finally showed up."  
Muchiko came out, holding someone by the threshold. It was a little twelve year old girl. She gave her to the hospital staff. As for Muchiko, she looked...cleanly o.k. No blood or scars, except for the one's on both her wrists of course. She got past the yellow tape, grabbed my bag and said, "I have to use the restroom."  
"Why not use the one in the museum? Was it that bad?"  
"Actually it was."  
"Look, I think that's a coffee shop there. We can ask," I said.  
Natasha looked at me like I was an idiot. Same way Jessie would look at me. I turned to Muchiko.  
"Hey, who left you that bag?"  
"Don't worry about it. I have my secrets. It's just about knowing the right people at the right moment," said Muchiko.  
As we entered, Muchiko told me and Natasha to wait outside, saying if we did go inside with her, we wouldn't live to see tomorrow. Anyone who told me that warning with an attitude such as hers, then yes, I would really believe it. She came back out about ten minutes later.  
"I think we better be going. Someone knows of my existence," she said.  
"Uhh, what did you do?" I said very frightenedly.  
We walked as normal, then calling a taxi. We had no Euros to go along with the ride to the train station, so it would be interesting to see how both Natasha and Muchiko, with their combined intelligence, would be able to pay for their ride. I sat in the corner, just wanting to see the sights. The ride was only about ten minutes. When we pulled next to the train station area, Natasha looked at her watch.  
"Two minutes," I heard her whisper.  
Muchiko nodded and punched the taxi driver on the head, kicked the door open, grabbed me, and the three of us were off running. That's one way to get your ride's worth. Don't like the pleasurable comfy chairs that we had to sit in? Just beat up the taxi driver. How very enjoyable. We ran down the steps with Natasha shouting "Gate six! Gate six!"  
Muchiko stuffed a ticket in my hand.  
"So you guys are able to afford train tickets, but not a simple taxi ride?" I said.  
"We like to save our money in very tight situations. Sorry that we couldn't adhere to your rules," said Muchiko.  
We got to the station as the train was pulling in. At least these guys were very time savvy. Entering the train, we were really out of breath. It didn't matter us starting to run to a train that didn't move for ten minutes. Natasha was, as usual, out of breath.  
"You o.k Natty?" I said.  
"I'll try to be alright."  
Muchiko had some sort of trance in her face.  
"O.k, now what?" I said. Muchiko looked in shock.  
"Harumi...is here. In the train."  
"How?"  
"Unfortunately, me and her are close that we can sense each other's presence."  
"Well, there goes that 'tracking device' of hers that you kept complaining about," said Natasha.  
"It's not that."  
She ran through the train car doors. We of course followed her. Running though a huge amount of people in a train was no fun. Seeing ahead of the train and noticing that one of the tracks was off the ground wasn't going to make our trip any more fun than it already was.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen "O.k. anyone see what I see up ahead?" said Muchiko. "Yup. And it mostly spells madness and trouble," said Natasha. Since these two were jabbering away at each other and just standing there, I made myself useful. I went to the corner of the train and pulled on the emergency brake. I flung through the train car and into another part of the train. My head hit the floor hard like hitting a runaway schoolbus down the interstate. Only difference, instead of having children inside, it had a huge assortment of bricks. I checked my head as a woman helped me up. No blood. That was a huge relief. Natasha came running in. "You o.k?" "Yeah, I'm fine. Thankfully, I drink plenty of juice to keep myself healthy." Muchiko came in. "I'm just glad you're alright Kathy. You really do scare me sometimes," she said. Guess scaring Muchiko at something was probably very rare. I was very grateful. The problem, now that the train stopped, was the obvious part of what was going to happen next. "I got a simpleton of an idea. Hopefully it can be something worth trying." "What would that be?" said Natasha. "We have to get everyone out of the train safely." "Sorry, but I think that the emergency alarm beat you to it." That, I found really odd. So a broken track is already considered an emergency? Man, that was really fast. Very quick to declare one as well. Train workers came in to usher the crowd outside. Not to the very electrical tracks below, thank goodness. I went out the door to the darkness of the tunnel and into a waiting platform. I have never been so scared in my life. If Harumi wanted us dead, then she almost got the job done, thanks to the quick eyes of Muchiko and my own quick thinking. Muchiko lit a match and placed the fire on a small bind of sticks of wood that were on the floor and that she held to a very strong rope. I really have to take Muchiko to Vegas one day if she was this lucky to find something like this. As we continued walking, Muchiko lit the area of the busted up track. A huge piece of it was gone. To the side of it, was a bunch or rats, all looking as though they were tied up. As Muchiko put the well made torch closer, the rats' heads were all taken off. I almost threw up, when Natasha, behind me, started to get me to relax. Which was a good thing to hear her voice. It was kind of interesting to have an adventure like this with someone as smart witted as Natasha. Of course the person next to me deserves as much credit as anyone else. Even when she just made a number of passengers completely stop in the middle of the dark. "What is it?" I said. Muchiko started to sniff the air. "Oh crap. EVERYBODY RUN!" Everybody started to scramble ahead of us. So why were we just standing here? "Uhh, aren't we going to escape as well?" I said. "Hey didn't I finish saying that we needed to get them to safety?" said Muchiko. "Besides, it was getting too loud with its own Italian chatter." "O.k, so why were you sniffing the air? Was that for show?" Muchiko paused. It wasn't like her to pause right away. She would take a few steps first and then pause. As soon as I noticed that, something was definitely wrong. Then, I felt Natasha stop. "Natasha. I don't hear your footsteps. Why did you stop?" I said. Natasha reached and grabbed me, probably reaching for my shoulder. Then she said, "we really have to run." "What? So what did you actually smell back there Muchiko?" I said. "If I say it, it would really alarm you." "Well please, alarm me." "O.k. Let me put it this way. There was a strong stench of both hydrogen and oxygen molecules up behind us." What? So she can actually "smell" elements from a distance? Then why in the world isn't she rich!

Sighing, I put those thoughts in the back of my head; I might as well keep them somewhere safe for now. After all, it might come in handy later. I went back to Muchiko's comment of hydrogen and oxygen. From all of the chemistry classes in school, that could be anything, but there was one element in particular that those two molecules were famous for. And as far as I know, I hoped for the life of me that it wasn't what I was thinking of. Please. Not that one. ANYTHING BUT THAT ONE!  
We began to walk a bit quicker this time, due to Natasha getting tired easily from either running or jogging. It's funny how Natasha can ride a bike o.k, but she can somewhat run. What fun. After a half hour of walking -and some ten minutes of waiting for Natasha to catch her breath- we saw a light.  
"It's Rome!" I said happily.  
"Wait a minute! This looks too easy," said Muchiko.  
Natasha came slowly approaching us from behind.

"Look at that golden statue ahead. It looks like a snake."  
Muchiko stepped down from the platform without any warning or at least a chance to look around. Who knew if there were actual snakes there? She pushed the snake away with ease and waited to see if there were any traps. Muchiko knew that one of the traps was the water from earlier.  
"Everyone get moving!" she shouted.  
Natasha and I got down and ran into the light. I really didn't care whether we left Muchiko inside, anything to not deal with the water again. Once I was outside, it looked as though we were in the countryside. Natasha and I kept on running. We ran for a good fifteen feet when we turned around.  
"C'mon Muchiko, get out of there," said Natasha.  
I hid behind Natasha as I heard footsteps. I knew it was Muchiko, but hopefully she wasn't getting chased by anything. The Goth genius came out.  
"Nothing. I waited there for a very long time, but I found out that Harumi had inputted a sound device to make it seem like the sound of water."  
I had the hugest sigh of relief.  
The three of us were walking down the tracks past the country side. We got off the tracks as we approached a farmhouse. I guess we were outside of Rome. On a grassy field, Muchiko stopped. "Well now what's wrong?" said Natasha.  
"The tracker. I know for a huge fact it's on me."  
"Geez, are you still with that?"  
"Well, Muchiko could be right. I mean, it's not always by luck that she finds us, don't you think?" I said.  
Muchiko handed her the small flashlight.  
"I'm assuming this is an x-ray flashlight?" said Natasha.  
"No. Just check my ears to see if you here a beeping sound."  
Muchiko was on the ground. Natasha checked both ears and pressed her ear on her forehead. Nothing.  
"I heard nothing," said Natasha, handing the flashlight back to Muchiko.  
"Look. Can we just keep on moving? I'm getting tired just standing around here," I said.  
I was getting frustrated. We had no way to travel, but somewhat of an amount of money with us. I hoped it can cover some expenses that we needed for this part of the journey. Walking so much was a pain but I knew it was going to be so worth it.  
"I don't think walking this much isn't worth it," said Natasha.  
"Relax. We're almost there," said Muchiko. "And you need a shower."  
"Hey look who's talking."  
"Girls please. This is no time to bicker," I said.  
"My guess is that Harumi wouldn't harm anyone here at all. I mean look at the odds. What other biblical stuff can she think of next?"  
"I'm telling you, it's not her. Someone is pulling her strings in this operation," said Muchiko. "Maybe she likes to get them pulled."  
We walked in what seemed like hours, but it was only an hour and a half. That was the good thing. What made it better was that Rome was up ahead. Also, Natasha came prepared this time as she handed me a Rome guide and translator book. Man, she comes up big in these kinds of situations, but frankly, a little late from my opinion. From what I can already understand, Rome hasn't changed much. Sure it had better streets and no crime at all, but the layout from the usual textbook was very different. Nice and neat, or if you prefer, nice and warm. Thank goodness for no coats.  
"Well, shall we find a hotel?" said Natasha.  
"No no. I wanna enjoy the sights. Besides, I don't wanna steal hotel clothes again. I'm tired of the ones I got on," I said.  
I didn't want to offend any of them, but my guess was that we didn't have any money, which I didn't want to say out loud. Muchiko would have a fit if she finally realized that tid bit of information. She was her usual jolly "not smiling" self. After surviving a plane crash in the sea, she had every reason to be the way she was. As we headed to a plaza straight ahead and sat down at the stairs, I tried to cheer up Muchiko.  
"C'mon cheer up. You want ice cream?"  
Muchiko looked disgusted and away. "No thank you."  
"Well how about a trip to an art museum?"  
Muchiko now looked very upset. "What makes you think an art museum would make me happy?"  
"Because the steps, from what I can tell, led to a museum."  
Muchiko turned around. "You idiot. That's the Sistine Chapel."  
I was upset that Muchiko called me an idiot, but I felt more of an idiot that I didn't see it in the map, which I held in my hands the whole time. Natasha came over.  
"Hey don't treat her that way," said Natasha.  
"And where did you go?" I said, actually noticing Natasha in front of me.  
"I was here the whole time, when I was trying to find money to get ice cream. Also, smarty-pants Kathy, the reason I wanted to find a hotel, was to change out of my cosplay outfit. It's bad enough that I don't have my chainsaw with me in this journey, and I don't mind at all that I have my cosplay outfit on and get numerous amounts of stares, but I would really like to get some change of clothes done if you don't mind." She looked at Muchiko. "Probably get some change of clothes for you as well. Unless, you're willing to die as a Lolita."  
Muchiko got up. "These clothes are a symbol of what I am."  
"Girls. I thought I said no bickering please?" I said.  
I began to get worried. One more step, and these two would really ruin everything. I took a deep breath as both of them backed away from each other and cooled off.  
"O.k o.k. I'm sorry. I was just saying you know...to try and dress you up in something more modern," said Natasha.  
"I understand, but the word modern isn't in my vocabulary," replied Muchiko.  
I was going to suggest that we did take a rest somewhere. My legs were starting to hurt as we ventured around the town nonstop. The most important thing was the simple fact that there was no sign of Harumi. At least not yet.  
We gazed around the plaza, or as the map said, "piazza" as we stopped in front of what looked like an opera house.  
"O.k. I'm tired of walking," I said.  
"I thought you like to jog around," said Muchiko.  
"Yeah, but I'm not a machine. I do need my rest and at least a bottle of water."  
"Well you are in luck," said Natasha as she grabbed a water bottle from a guy's hand. "Fresh clean water."  
"Fresh?"  
"You rather I say polluted?"  
"Uhh, no. That would seem awkward."  
Natasha walked around me. "Meh, I'm just trying to be nice o.k?"  
Just then, storm clouds gathered around the area. Muchiko stared up at the dark sky.  
"Hey girly, I think this is the cue from nature that we have to find shelter or at least some umbrellas," said Natasha.  
She went in front of an outstretched area in front of an outdoor restaurant. I went next to Muchiko.  
"C'mon, let's move," I said.  
Muchiko just stood there staring at the sky, without saying a word. I tried pulling her to safety, but as I mentioned before, boy was she heavy to try and drag around.  
"C'mon Muchy, what's going on? Don't scare me like this," I said worried.  
"Relax," she said, in a melancholy tone, almost as if she was in a trance like state. "Water can't hurt you."  
Great. The one word I didn't like.  
"Dang it, what are you saying?" I said.  
Natasha was screaming behind us:  
"Hey, we gotta reach higher ground! Or else this might look like the next Venice!"  
Uh oh. Those were not kind words at all. I kept trying to drag Muchiko off of the piazza, but she was tougher to drag than stone. I tried pushing her. Nothing. Natasha came running right at Muchiko's face.  
"Listen! Do you wanna freaking die?"  
"Relax girls. It's only 'night rain freshness'," said Muchiko.  
O.k now that was spooky. Not only did I not know what that meant, but I have heard it from my friend Christine before. How the heck did she know that expression? Natasha was of course confused.  
"Hey, can you cool it with your jabbering? We got to move," said Natasha.  
Right after that, it started to rain. Rain wasn't a big deal, unless you had some sort of protective rain gear with you. This rain was coming down hard and fast. Natasha took matters into her own hands. By picking Muchiko up and putting her over her shoulder as though she was a sack of potatoes.  
"So now where do we go?" I said.  
"Hey, you guys need a lift?" said a woman, as her car pulled up in front of us.  
We didn't even have to say anything. I got in the front, while Natasha and a seemingly drugged Muchiko sat in the back. I knew it was too quick to trust someone right away, but with terrorizing rain in the area, and our scientist not responding to anything in our universe, we had no choice. We drove to a traffic jam, as our female driver started honking the horn.  
"You can back up and try another route. Remember: 'take the road not taken'," said Natasha. "Right right. I know that one," said the female driver.  
Natasha was busy trying her best not to smack Muchiko in the face to try and wake her.  
"Hey, what's wrong with your friend? And nice costume. You girls came back from a party?" said the driver.  
"Thanks and no. We're not sure what happened. We know that whatever happened, we didn't do it," said Natasha.  
"Probably stared at the sun too long," I said.  
The driver laughed a bit. She went through a narrow route that barely fit her car, found another road and kept going.  
"My name's Elsa," said the driver. "Hopefully, my husband won't mind me having guests as yourselves."  
Husband? She looked at least Natasha's age. Blond hair, sunglasses, -so there goes any type of distinction of her eyes- and a very slender body. The car was a small Porsche, so I won't explain how we all managed to fit inside. If Natasha didn't bend herself comfortably, her head would've most definitely crash through the roof of the car.  
"Hey Natty, how's Muchiko doing?" I asked.  
"She fell asleep as soon as we went inside the car. You think whatever caused that weird trance had something to do with the air?" said Natasha.  
"It couldn't be that. Or else we would've been hypnotized as well," I said.  
After five minutes of driving, Elsa suddenly stopped.  
"What's wrong? Out of gas?" I said.  
"No. Look at the water on the ground."  
Since I could see barely through the window, I stepped out the door. It was still raining. The water however, reached past my knees. Since I was kind of short, that really scared me. Natasha got out and realized the horror that was outside as well.  
"O.k. I'm getting freaked out here," said Natasha as she also stepped out of the car.  
Oh geez, if it was going to rain for forty days and forty nights then forget it. I'm sorry Nature, or Harumi, or whatever you liked to be called.  
"Elsa, what do we do? We can't just stand here," I said.  
"I'm sorry ma'am; I can't move my car and damn, no connection to my phone."  
"Well, how far is your apartment from here?"  
"Just a quick two miles."  
"A quick two miles? What does that even mean?"  
"If only our scientist was awake right now, then of course she would have the problem solved right now," said Natasha.  
"And no Kathy. You can't guess what 'magic potion' of Muchiko belt would save us from this mess. I don't think in her belt, she wouldn't happen to have an umbrella."  
"I don't think an umbrella would even fit in her utility belt."  
"Girls, please stop!" said Elsa. "As you can plainly see, the water level is rising. We have to get to my apartment and fast."  
Natasha went and grabbed Muchiko over her shoulder...again. Just by the look of pain in Natasha's face, it was never good to try and pick up someone again after lifting them up fifteen minutes ago. Now that's painful. I have walked through heavily flooded areas before, but nothing remotely like this. If the water kept increasing in the rate that it was heading, then I knew for a fact that I would drown in four minutes.  
"I'm sorry for being rude Elsa, but can we pick up the pace?" I said. "I kind of have a fear of drowning."  
I was scared of water, and Natasha could run, but not as a far distance. True, that it was pretty tough to run in almost three feet of water, but since Natasha was carrying someone carrying a belt of supplies, then it would definitely be tough running. At least Natasha wasn't so slow walking, which was for the most part was a good thing. Elsa pointed to her apartment up ahead. Good thing it was only two blocks away. The water was already reaching my t-shirt. Which meant I only had two minutes to live.  
Elsa flickered around with the keys, until she found the right one. The first floor was almost starting to flood. Also, it wasn't a very tall building, only four stories. Elsa said that she lived in the third floor. For someone who I'm probably guessing lived in Italy for most of her life, she certainly knew English really well. We went inside the building.  
"I forgot that my husband Robert is at work," said Elsa. "He's been probably trying to reach me, but my phone is busted."  
"Probably the dude went for higher ground," said Natasha.  
I looked around the room. Both the living room and the kitchen were literally split in half. A random small t.v with a very weird looking cable box was stationed at the center. The couches were aligned in between the t.v. Made somewhat sense. There was no sort of dining room, just the usual rooms you see in those everyday apartments. What I couldn't feel but stare at was the chandelier. It was something that looked completely out of place in the house in itself, and it was golden handmade; from what I could have made by seeing it, the sides of it were small pictures of either saints or angels. It was so pretty. Natasha smacked me in the back of the head.  
"Hey could you stop daydreaming and get yourself some warm clothes? You wanna catch some hypothermia?"  
I shook myself out of staring at it. Muchiko was placed in the bed. Natasha was already dried and completely different. Her Grell outfit was hung in the bathroom. Regardless, I was happy to see Natasha with something other than a cosplay outfit for once. It will always remind me that Natasha isn't crazy. She had a grey plain t-shirt, with blue short jeans with a hole in her knee. Damn, she looked awesome. Well, changing Muchiko was a whole different story. It was bad enough that she was soaking wet, but when she gave strict orders not to change her clothes under any circumstances, well, then that made the job a lot harder. Since the door to the room was closed, Natasha and I approached the door with caution. What surprised us both and Elsa was the sound of the shower. I was remotely upset because of two reasons: Muchiko snucked past us while making no sound at all and the other was that I called the shower first after Natasha was finished. That was totally not fair at all.  
I knocked on the door very angrily,  
"Hey, I called it first."  
"Well if you did, you would be in the shower," said Muchiko.  
Damn her and her logic.  
I walked into the area of the living room to look out the window. Sure enough, the rain probably proceeded to flood out the first floor of the apartment.  
"O.k guys. It's looking pretty bad out there, but I don't think standing here would be any much help," I said.  
"Well, what do you want us to do? Fight the rain?" said Natasha.  
I couldn't help but say how much I loved Natasha's random rants.  
"That's a good idea," I said.  
The shower water was done, as Muchiko came out with a white towel. I shoved her out of the way as I headed to the bathroom.  
"How is my idea that good?" said Natasha.  
Muchiko looked around. "What idea?"  
"I'll explain later," I said.  
I was eager to step into some warm water for a change. This form of water would be the only one that I would appreciate in my life's routine. As I stood there thinking, there was a knock on the door. It was Elsa's voice coming.  
"Just leaving you some dry clothes," she said. "Also, your friends told you to hurry. We're heading to the fourth floor."  
The door closed before anything could come out of my mouth. That wasn't my idea at all. Also, Muchiko had to explain what that weird trance of hers was all about. I made sure I thoroughly scrubbed my hair, cleaned it, and got dryed. The clothes she got me were kind of a bit too big. Not so big that the sleeves were dangling through my arms, but it was the pants that she got me. "Excuse me, can I at least have a belt? These pants are a bit too big," I said through the door.  
I heard Natasha say on the other side, "I told you they looked big for her." The door opened and a belt was thrown inside. The shirt was a plain looking blue shirt. Nothing fancy. All this, and still wearing my wet sneakers. How fun.  
I stepped out of the bathroom to see that they were all waiting for me. Muchiko had the same black dress on. I touched it, and it was completely dry. It didn't feel like water touched it at all. I didn't say a word, but looked at my crew as I addressed them.  
"O.k, not to sound crazy to anyone, but we have to leave this area," I said.  
"Wait a second. I do have the odd feeling in my stomach that this is a move on Harumo's part to try and flush us out," said Natasha.  
"I know. And that is where Muchiko come in."  
Elsa was confused as me and Natasha stared at Muchiko. No matter how much of an idea this was, and no matter how much this was actually going to probably fail, I had pure confidence in Muchiko to get us out of this mess.  
"You, my courageous gothic fellow, are getting us out of here," I said to Muchiko.  
"Me? I can't combat a flood. I don't even probably have the tools necessary to do it."  
"You have to. You wanna show Harumi how much intelligent you really are, right?"  
Muchiko sighed. Elsa gave her a hug.  
"I believe you. You can really do it," she said.  
She knew nothing at all about Muchiko's personality, but by just saying the words, ''I believe you'', that made Muchiko smile. Now that was really sweet. So Muchiko went to the kitchen. "Hey, whatever you kind of have planned, you better make sure it works, alright?" said Natasha. "I do have an idea, but I was really remotely afraid I wouldn't have to use it," said Muchiko as she took out a tube that looked like it was filled with smoke.  
She placed little crushed ice cubes, corked it, and started shaking it. She looked at our confused faces.  
"I put ice on it; you know, to give it a little bit of juice."  
"You put juice on what?" I asked.  
Muchiko went out the door. I followed her. The first floor was completely filled with water. I almost slipped in the water thanks to the slippery stairs.  
"Hey watch it o.k?" said Muchiko.  
She grabbed me with her left hand, and uncorked the tube with her right hand.  
"This...is liquid nitrogen. Now watch the magic," said Muchiko.  
She threw it into the water. In a matter of seconds, the water became instantly frozen, which then stretched out to the street. I stepped back in complete shock. Natasha ran downstairs along with Elsa.  
"Whoa. That's really awesome," said Natasha.  
If there was any word that could at least describe what I saw, I knew it wouldn't be ''awesome.'' Muchiko, however looked out of breath, as if throwing the tube in the water and watching it explode underwater took a whole lot out of her.  
"Hey, why are you so tired?" said Elsa.  
I didn't mind that question, but I wanted to answer it on my own.  
"Forget that one, what was with that trance earlier? Remember, when you was staring up at the sky?" I said.  
"There was something about the dark clouds that made me feel that something was wrong. Then I felt trapped in some sort of drugged state. I couldn't break free, no matter how much I tried. All of a sudden, I woke up in the room with a massive headache."  
To me, that really wasn't a good answer. While it is true that Muchiko did stop the huge flood that was terrorizing the city, to me, it still wasn't enough to convince me that not everything was going to be alright. A random piece was missing, and no matter how tough it was going to be to keep digging inside Muchiko's head, we will find it. Natasha began to walk on the ice. "Elsa, I don't suppose you have any ice skates in your room that we can use," she said. Elsa laughed a bit and followed Natasha. Muchiko hesitated and went on the ice. Weirdly enough, the rain stopped. The clouds were disappearing. It was as if Harumi had a camera on the whole and, seeing how we got through the flood, shut off everything. Man, the things these sisters can do. As we stepped outside, and as the sun was making an appearance in the sky, we felt really vigorated. Even though the whole street and considerably the whole city turned into a huge skating rink, it still seemed as though we outlasted Harumi in one of her little schemes. I of course, was happy. "Good that there isn't no sign of Harumi," I said. "I really can't figure out what ice has to do with the Bible."  
"Actually, nothing at all. This was something that she wasn't suspecting, so in retrospect, Harumi can't do anything at all," said Muchiko.  
Elsa tried her cell phone. No connection. We all tried our phones. No connection at all. The cars below were all frozen, so good luck trying to get them out buried almost four feet in ice. We walked back to the area of the piazza where the Sistine Chapel was. Of course the kids were enjoying the ice. It was really that much fun.  
"See Muchiko? You're a hero to these kids. A very random, well somewhat snow day for the kids."  
Natasha was all excited and punched the ice saying, "Yes! Shade and sweet water!"  
The ice started to crack through the street.  
Natasha whispered to us. "Oopsie. I forgot how strong I was."  
If the ice broke, then I wanted to be the first to clonk Natasha in the head.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

The ice started to crack open very gently. Muchiko launched me and Elsa into the chapel. ''Hey, why do I have to go in and get something? Why can't you do it?'' I said.  
''Hey, you have company now hurry up, said Muchiko.  
Elsa and I both nodded as Muchiko and Natasha stood still on the ice. I do know how to ice skate very well, but it was my first time skating through a block of frozen liquid nitrogen with no ice skates. Really puts a strain on your ankles.  
We approached the chapel as Elsa lock picked the lock of the big gate. It was a really huge place. There had to be an object of certainty to save my friends from the ice outside. The church does ''save,'' right? Elsa went through a doorway in the back, while I searched around the altar. Five minutes later, Elsa came out with an eight foot ladder.  
''O.k. don't you think that's a bit too big?'' I said.  
''Sorry Kathy. That's all I could find.''  
I helped her carry it back outside to the chilly air. Natasha was shivering like crazy as she was now holding on to Muchiko as the cracks on the ice started to expand. It was somewhat of a good thing that everyone else in the area decided to stay indoors. It was more of an idiot maneuver from us however, that we decided to stay outdoors. ''O.k. Muchiko, you first,'' I said. Of course I knew very well that in this situation where Elsa and I are trying to carry a heavy metal ladder over our shoulders to save our friends, we would start with the weaker of the two. Muchiko leaped into the air as we transfixed the ladder in her direction. Man, she can really jump. And she says she doesn't like sports.  
We reeled Muchiko to our area of the steps. She let go of the ladder and sat down next to us, really exhausted.  
''O.k. Natasha you're next. Don't move,'' I said.  
Muchiko didn't even bother to get up to try and help us. Natasha was tall and somewhat heavy. Elsa and I carried Muchiko no problem. Natasha just worried me. Elsa pleaded with Muchiko to get up and help, but she refused; still out of breath. I shook my head.  
''Don't mind her Elsa. She's just being her usual anti-social self,'' I said.  
Again we carried the ladder over our shoulders to try and get Natasha. She was a bit farther away than Muchiko was when she was on the ice. I could've skated there, but it was a danger to me and to everyone else if I slipped and fell.  
''Steady, steady. Try not to shake,'' said Muchiko softly behind me.  
The air felt colder than before. Elsa was shaking from the cold behind me, while I was trying to be calm in the front. The ladder hovered over Natasha. She was tall, so it made it kind of tough to not hit her in the head. A rock in the head earlier was already enough pain for her in the day that she had to deal with. Natasha arched closer to the ladder. She jumped, and crashed down through the ice. That really didn't make our situation any more fun. Elsa screamed. I dropped the ladder behind me and skated to the newly formed hole. Natasha was sinking.  
''Muchiko, you got a rope or something?'' I said.  
''No. You better go after her,'' said Muchiko.  
Is she crazy?  
''Why can't you do it?'' I said.  
''So your just gonna stand there and let your sister drown and die under a sheet of ice?''  
That was the push I needed to actually dive in the icy water. I held my breath the whole way. Right off the bat, my body temperature dived thirty degrees below the norm. Basically, it meant that I only had six minutes to live. Which is never good. My arms were starting to turn blue and little shards of ice began to form. Probably since there was liquid around the ice, it was at least able to swim without freezing to death. It still wouldn't change the fact that as the deeper below I went, the colder it got. And I wasn't accustomed to holding my breath for so long. So I had to swim as fast as I could. It was a very feint view of Natasha below, but it seemed like she wasn't moving. I grabbed her hand, which startled her. Covering her mouth so she won't slip in icy cold water, I began to swim upward. I was really starting to lose my breath. The fear was starting to creep up on me. I began to panic. Natasha was startled by my panic and she began to lift me back up to the surface. Elsa was there and lifted me up. Coughing so much water really can do a number on me. So did Muchiko, still sitting there, on the steps, nowhere near us.  
Natasha climbed out a few seconds later.  
''Are you two alright?'' said Elsa.  
My whole body was numb. I couldn't speak. I didn't know how Natasha was actually able to move at all. She dragged my hand as we went back to the stairs. We all went inside the chapel and locked the door behind us. Muchiko took out a bottle and started to spray me with it. It felt like hot sauce, but a lot spicier.  
''Relax you two. It's pieces of rocked formed by lava,'' said Muchiko.  
Now I knew where she got that extra spice. Elsa was tending to Natasha, while Muchiko actually looked worried. I guess she does care about some people. I was about to approach her when there was a loud bang on the roof. An obvious sign that we were not alone.  
''I'll check upstairs,'' I said, dragging Elsa with me.  
I didn't care how sick I would get after diving into that icy water. My friends' safety was all that mattered. Plus, Muchiko staying with Natasha downstairs and fixing her up would benefit for us greatly. Muchiko simply nodded and said, ''be careful.''  
So Elsa and I went into the back of another long hallway where there was a gunshot heard grazing the wall that Elsa was hiding behind from. I guess someone there was waiting for us. I took Elsa and put her behind me as I peeked to the side of the wall. There was no shooter. ''Clear,'' I said.  
I looked again just to make sure. So we ran through the hallway where there was no one in sight. I seen a lot of movies where doing this would get you killed out in the open, but so far it was clear sailing ahead. Elsa pointed to the stairs as we approached it slowly. The hallway was so magnificent. The upstairs area smelled suspiciously of bread in the oven. Followed by a smell all too familiar in my house: burned popcorn. Slowly we approached the second floor with very much restraint. Then Elsa grabbed me as we ducked below on the stairs. I saw the very familiar stride of Harumi walk by as she stepped into another room. I motioned Elsa to come with me as we slowly followed her. Once she climbed a set of stairs to the third floor and to a huge room, we started to come close to her. There were more of her friends around as Harumi looked out of a window and started to yell something in Japanese to the area of the roof. We moved in while her friends weren't looking and grabbed her from behind.  
''O.k. You better stop this madness,'' I said as Elsa held her other arm tightly as well.  
''Well Kathy, I congratulate you very well. But who said I was quitting this easily?''  
The rest of her friends stared at us, with a very uncomfortable look that made me shiver in fear. It was really scary. One of them said, ''let our leader go.'' Elsa and I held our ground. Then, in clear English, Elsa said, ''You stop whatever bad things you are doing, or else I'll chop your ear off.''  
I wanted to applaud her for that comment, but my hands were tied up holding on to Muchiko. This was something however, I really wanted.  
''Is that what your intentions are?''  
Then she began to laugh. Elsa was frustrated by this, until I told her to calm down.  
''Relax alright?'' I said to her.  
There was the obvious choice of stabbing her in the back, but Elsa's knife was small, so I of course knew that it wouldn't constitute any major damage. Elsa got tired of waiting and was about to do the unprecedented, when Harumi flipped forward, first kicking Elsa's knife out of her grasp, then flipping back and kicking both of us. The rest of her crew simply watched as Harumi began to pick us apart. Even with our two on one advantage, it still wasn't that simple. Elsa gave a few shots while I held her in one situation, but I was kicked badly on my knee and Elsa was taken down. I ran to Harumi, bad knee and all, and tried to take her down. All she did was grab my hair and throw me down. I was small yeah, but I mean, to throw me down? That wasn't really nice at all. The rest of her friends finally made their move and held on to Elsa. Harumi got up and looked at me.  
''So another situation where I have one of your friends hostage. This is too easy,'' she said.  
I was still waiting for the white gothic knight to come forth and save me, but nothing. So I tried my best to at least make an attempt to talk some sense into her. Yup, I hoped at least some sense was still inside her.  
''Listen Harumi, your sister only loves you-.''  
I was interrupted by the ''friends'' tying up Elsa and moving her to the window.  
''So, what were you about to say?'' said Harumi.  
I was frightened. I knew coldly that Harumi wasn't going to blindly push Elsa out of the window. ''What...what are you going to do to her?'' I said.  
''No no, keep going of your little speech,'' said Harumi. ''I'll be nice enough to wait until you are done speaking.''  
I cleared my throat, very frightened of what may happen next.  
So I continued like an idiot: ''Muchiko really cares about you very much and she wants you back as her big part of the family. She really looks up to you a lot.''  
Harumi approached me as I started stepping back.  
''You really think that imbecile of a sister knows what family is? You think she knows what normality is? She freaking disgraced me!''  
I was really upset by the sudden outburst.  
''Harumi, firstly, Elsa has nothing to do with this. So just let her go,'' I said.  
She laughed unpleasantly.  
''You really think I'm taking orders from someone like you?'' she said.  
Harumi gave an order in which her friends stripped Elsa down naked. I couldn't even attempt to save her, least they try to do the worst to me. Oh well, good luck with that then. I just met Elsa in a day and already, I was seeing images of Rebecca in my mind. I can't let the same thing happen to her. Immediately and without thinking, I went after Harumi. All of a sudden, I was pushed down by a pink haired girl and was handcuffed. Once the key was thrown out of the window, I was placed in a chair by two girls. The other three with Harumi were tying up a naked Elsa with a rope and debating what to do with her. A girl by the look of nineteen and with short brown hair, nodded in agreement and left the area. She came back a few minutes later with a sack bag. Harumi took out a spray from her belt pocket, and sprayed it inside the bag. She then took out an apple from the bag and forced it on Elsa's mouth. There was an obvious piece missing. Please tell me Harumi wasn't this crazy. It turns out she was. Carefully, with her bare hands, she took out a medium sized black mamba snake and placed it on Elsa's hair. They lowered her out of the window, but left the rope tied to a harness outside of the window. That was a small sigh of relief. It showed that at least Harumi was a bit civilized than most people think. And that's not so many people.  
Harumi then yelled out of the window, ''If you struggle, it will bite you to death, so I would advise you to not move.''  
As she looked back in my direction, she saw the familiar, yet weird look of her sister right next to me, along with Natasha to my left.  
''Star gazing?'' said Muchiko.  
''Sis, you really are a piece of work. Too bad you won't live any longer. Surrender now or I move this rope, making the snake biting your naked friend to death. It's what she deserves for eating the apple.''  
As Natasha began to free me, Muchiko let out a puff of smoke from one of her little tubes from her left side of the belt pocket. I couldn't see a thing, but I heard my cuffs open free and what seemed like Natasha stumbling over. The smoke cleared, Natasha was on the floor, the three girls that were with Harumi were gone, and Muchiko was holding the tied up Elsa in her arm as she sat in the chair I was in. Harumi was looking around confused. As she saw Muchiko and us there looking at her, she realized that she was alone and went out of the window. Muchiko leaned next to the snake that was placed on Elsa's head and slowly but surely, took it by the neck and flung it out of the window.  
''O.k, you know you could've gotten bitten there right?'' I said.  
''Nope. Snakes are only dangerous WHEN they bite you,'' said Muchiko. "Besides, this one wasn't poisonous at all."  
Natasha removed the apple from Elsa's mouth, when all of a sudden Muchiko smacked it away. ''What now? Are you so much against fruit all of a sudden?"  
"Be quiet, or I could've left you as a popsicle."  
Elsa got up, in silence did not say a word, and put her clothes back on.  
''Elsa, are you alright?'' I asked. She began to speak, but there was no sound coming out.  
''It's the apple!'' said Muchiko.  
The three of us looked at a fully clothed Elsa, now looking as though she was banging to a glass wall. I asked the only person who knew and could at least solve the matter of what was really going on.  
"Natasha! What's going on?"  
She walked over to where Elsa was and sensed that a glass wall was enclosed between them. She thought for a moment and then said: "O.k. I assume you both know the story of Eve and the apple."  
I nodded and so did Muchiko.  
Natasha continued. "Well, after she and Adam ate the apple, they were banished from Paradise. So, Elsa is literally banished from our world."  
Muchiko was in complete shock hearing this.  
"We need to get her back!"  
She dug through each of her pockets, searching furiously. I approached Elsa.  
"So, what in the world can be dangerous than this area, if supposedly, this is paradise?"  
I didn't agree on the logic, however I had no choice but to play along with its symptoms. We couldn't hear the screams of Elsa, or my phone ringing when I knew very well that she was trying to call me from her invisible box.  
"What's going to happen to her?" I said.  
Before Natasha could answer that question, Muchiko shoved us out of the way.  
"Get down!" she yelled.  
She threw what looked like a mixture of some pebbles and a very funny looking liquid. I'm so glad I forgotten my chemistry ideals so that I wouldn't have to figure out what Muchiko had in every pocket. She threw it to the invisible barrier. The glass broke, but it didn't hit Elsa at all. "WHAT! NOTHING!" said Muchiko in anger.  
All of a sudden, spikes came from inside the glass and impaled Elsa.  
"The place most feared. The area of death," said Natasha.  
Muchiko punched the ground in anger.  
"I shouldn't have failed! Damn you Harumi!"  
She ran off, as we chased her out of the chapel.  
"Hey Muchiko, where are you going? The ground is still frozen. I don't think this area of Rome is anywhere near the Alps for us to buy skis of that nature," said Natasha.  
"Where am I going? I'm going to bury my sister! Innocent people are dying from my behalf. I can't let this continue."  
She did have a good point, but I didn't want her to forget that we were all in this together whether she liked it or not.  
"Well, unlike last time, I don't think she left any clues as to where she could be headed," I said. Muchiko thought of an idea.  
"What's the matter?" I said, staring at her.  
Muchiko looked at the window of the right side of the church where Harumi got out from. We ran over to that area. Muchiko looked up first, then started to feel the ground. Of course, it was still icy, so I didn't know what idea Muchiko would have gotten from feeling the ice.  
''So, what's you analysis?'' I said.  
Natasha stood there, really unsure of what was going on.  
"She hasn't gotten too far," said Muchiko. ''We'll probably catch up to her in no time if we hurry.''  
Looking at Natasha's face told me that she was starting to be a bit fed up chasing Harumi all around. For me, I was all so happy getting a view of all of the sites all over Europe. Certainly has made my trip all so much fun, except for all the murders of course.  
''So where is Harumi?'' I said.  
''Not too far from here. There's only one place here where she can find sanctuary,'' said Muchiko. ''So how do we get there?'' asked Natasha.  
''Like I mentioned earlier, there isn't a place around here where you can buy skis or stuff along that nature.''  
''Never mind the skis. It isn't that far from here.''  
I looked at Muchiko like she was crazy. It was starting to get cold again. The sun looked as though it wasn't coming out at all. I really didn't care if it was three in the morning, I wanted my damn sun. Also, there wasn't any type of transportation around the area. So, unless Muchiko had some sort of raft in her belt that we can use around the ice, then we had no way of getting around. Muchiko then began searching around her pockets. I was starting to be a bit creeped out. ''Hey, what are you looking for?'' I asked.  
''Shut it, alright?'' said Muchiko.  
Natasha stayed behind me in case I wanted to smack her in the face. I already did that once. She looked in every pocket of her belt, like twelve of them, and of the pockets in her Lolita dress. "Nothing?" I said.  
"Wait. I have an extra pocket. Uhh, can you two please turn around?" she said.  
Natasha and I just looked at each other. So we turned around. After five seconds, we heard an inflating sound.  
''Whoa. You actually got a raft?'' I said.  
I was about to go in, when Natasha stopped me.  
''What?''  
''Muchiko, may I ask what 'pocket' you got this out from?'' she said.  
Muchiko looked away. ''I can assure you that it is clean. Now, do you want to get in or not?'' Natasha had no choice. So we got in, with its own paddles, and as much of a pain as it was trying to stuff those in the ice, we began to paddle. Muchiko was in front leading, while Natasha was in the back. I was the lookout. All I needed was some night vision goggles. It was tough to see; even with all of these lights on the street. I wish we were in Venice right now, because I don't think this raft could sort well in the ice.  
After constant arguing over directions, which they looked at me for, we arrived at the Vatican. Now, this looked really awesome. A huge plaza with many statues around it, and a big church. The one thing I found really peculiar about the area was that it was the only area that we've seen so far that did not have ice on it. I could've sworn that it rain everywhere, not just in our lonesome area. Also, we couldn't get in. Like it was protected by a barrier.  
''This proves that Harumi isn't alone in all of this,'' said Muchiko. ''There's no way she could've made a barrier of this magnitude.''  
The only thing that confused me was that another barrier was placed.  
''So how do we get inside this one?'' I asked.  
Natasha, who surprisingly was quiet for the first three minutes of when we got here just ran right in to the barrier and went through.  
''Uhh, I think this is only for the religious intent, so that would mean that Harumi did this to keep you out Muchiko,'' said Natasha. So, being religious meant killing innocents? How very naive. So I tried to step through. And I did. Muchiko just simply stood there.  
"You two, please be careful," she said, without even trying to go through the barrier. Natasha gave her a salute as we headed off into the church.  
First off, I had an obvious feeling in my chest that the place would be heavily guarded on the inside and outside. Or at least I would've seen some sort of suspicion around the area. There was nothing. Secondly, why in the world would Harumi come here in the first place? It's not as if the Pope was going to help someone like her out. Even so, it would be an even tougher battle. I have great respect for any religious figure who the whole world gave very big respect to. So we needed to hurry.  
As we got in, there was more gold and more space around. It seemed like a very magical place. Natasha stayed around with her eyes open all over. She did not trust anything around the surrounding area. Not even seats.  
''Relax Natasha, I'm sure we'll find what we are looking for,'' I said.  
Whatever that could be, I had no clue. I just hope it would be something that wouldn't get us killed. I've gotten this far, so it would be really horrible if something tragic happened to me. "Natasha, you sense anything here not right about this area?" I said.  
Natasha gave a look around. "Nope. Nothing unusual."  
It was strange that we stepped foot to one of the greatest religious structures ever created and it seemed rather quiet. What a way for someone like us to be entered. Then an arrow whooshed by. ''O.k what the heck was that?'' said Natasha. Then another. "I'm not liking this one bit Kathy."  
"Don't worry Natasha, at least we're o.k," I said.  
I noticed the floor and the statues that surrounded us as we were creeping along the church. It was really freaking me out. I started to panic and feel shortness of my breath. What the heck can I do? Natasha grabbed me.  
"Girly can you relax? Just relax alright? Deep breath. We're going to be alright," she said.  
She made a quick glance behind her and around her. "O.k. Enough relaxing. RUN!"  
We dashed to the huge area of the altar as we heard sounds of not arrows this time, but bullets. Natasha picked me up and launched me to the front of the area. We heard a rumbling sound and then...nothing.  
"O.k. Now I'm getting a bit creeped out," said Natasha.  
"Oh don't be such a crybaby. We'll fight our way through this whole mess," I said.  
I took Natasha by the hand this time as we went through a hallway of shrines. We opened the first door to our left. It didn't seem like much, just a place where the priests come to study. A room with books, sort of like a mini library.  
Nothing unusual about it.  
The next room was where all the fun began. As soon as Natasha opened the door, there was a huge hole at the bottom of it. Sure enough, there were lions down there.  
"O.k. Now that's scary," said Natasha.  
The door closed behind us and locked on its own. Gleaming and flickering on the bottom where the lions were stationed was what looked like a key. Natasha looked down below.  
"Seems kind of scary down there. You go first Kathy."  
I just completely stared at her. "Are you crazy?"  
"Just relax. If Daniel could survive it for one day, I'm sure you can."  
I had a feeling she would bring up that sort of logic around this kind of danger one day. It just had to be right now. There was no rope in sight at all to show that I could be let down safely. I didn't know what to do.  
"I guess we have to use our teamwork," I said to Natasha.  
She looked around and pointed to herself. ''You mean me help you? It was a deal for you to go down there yourself.''  
''Oh c'mon...big sis.'' Those words gave Natasha no choice.  
''O.k I'll help you. But you better promise me that you won't get eaten alive.''  
''Thanks. I think.''  
There were three lions in the hole. It was around eight feet deep, and the three lions could jump at least five feet. Yup, do the math. We were signing our own death warrants. If only Muchiko was here, we could've just busted through the door with one of her finest chemistry tools. I looked at the door, then turned to Natasha.  
''Wait a minute, why can't you go down there? You've handled Siberian Tigers in your lifetime, have you?''  
Natasha looked stunned.  
''Hey, it's bad enough that we have to do this, but that was a really ridicule question. Those things are scary.''  
Well, there goes my chance of getting out of this deal.  
''Nevermind that. I want you to try and break the lock,'' I said.  
''You're joking right? I've seen these types of locks before in Russia. They're practically bulletproof,'' responded Natasha.  
''Well obviously, we don't have guns. Just find something effective to break it open.''  
After I spoke, there was something that surprised the both of us. Something really scary. The lion's den became wider and the lions themselves moved up about an inch. We had about three feet of room between the door and the den. This was not looking good.  
''Wait! Wait! What do you want me to do first? Break the lock or lower you down?" said Natasha.  
We weren't anywhere near any of the objects that we could've used to try and break the lock. The only thing we saw that proved useful was a lamp that was across the hole. We would call that a "leap of faith." I turned to Natasha and nodded. She must've known what I was thinking in my head because she took a quick glance behind me and said, "No freaking way! I'm not doing it." "Just relax, like you told me," I said.  
I gave her a sad puppy look. I never used it in my lifetime, but I knew sooner or later it would work. Now I knew for a fact with this look in my arsenal, I was bound to get a boyfriend. Natasha then tried to counter. "Hey, aren't we supposed to get the key down there?"  
She did have a point. What if the lamp didn't work in breaking the lock?  
"O.k give me a lift, miss scared Russian. You guys are man enough to cross the street when the lights are green. Now you're saying you're scared of a couple of lions?"  
Natasha then looked angry. Well that did the trick. She had little space to run, but she was able to leap. Then came the unexpected. The den began to get wide again. I stepped back next to the doorway, while Natasha leaped and was able to grab on to the end of the ledge. I gave a little clap of celebration. She pulled herself up and got a hold of the lamp. Well, now that she got closer, it wasn't a lamp at all. It was a brass tube.  
''Hey, it might as well work," said Natasha.  
She threw it to me. There was nothing inside that would've seemed interesting about it. I backed away a bit to give Natasha some space to jump back. She did without much difficulty. I took the brass tube, -which from looking at it could've supported a lamp- and started to try and break the lock.  
"Dang it. Nothing," I said.  
"Let me see it," said Natasha.  
I gave it to her, in hopes of her having much power than I had in breaking it. Instead, she scanned it, said what seemed to be a prayer in plain English, and then threw it into the den. That was just plain random and really weird.  
"What the heck was that about? I really don't think lions eat brass tubes," I said.  
The tube started to light up, which was a distraction to the three lions.  
"Now, are you ready to go down there?" said Natasha.  
I gave a long sigh. Turns out Natasha got out of that one cleanly. As the lions were busy playing with the tube, Natasha lowered me slowly with her hands. Hey, it did benefit me that Natasha was tall enough to try and get off a task like this, but I was a bit upset that, of course, I was short. So it was going to take a bit more reach than I originally thought it would be.  
"Hey, they're distracted. It's our opportunity to get the key. Just relax alright?" said Natasha. "Don't breathe so hard. I think lions don't like that."  
Well thanks for that one. I stood on top of Natasha's with my legs clenched around her arms. She slowly set me down carefully towards the key while the lions were still playing with the pole. I was two feet from the key. Natasha's legs were hanging on to the base of the ledge. I was more in the thought of her not slipping. Her sneakers did provide a good grip, but sooner or later everything will fall eventually.  
''I can't reach it,'' I said in a whisper.  
Natasha carefully removed one of the legs that I placed on her shoulder and lowered me a bit more, this time grabbing my leg with one hand. She inched me closer to the keys. My hand started to sweat. One of the lions stopped and looked up at me. I gave a very nervous wave. "Nice kitty. Please don't eat me," I whispered.  
It gave a growl. I felt Natasha's grip started to falter as she switched arms to grab me. I was really hoping not to fall.  
"Hey, hurry up and grab the keys," said Natasha.  
"Will you calm down?"  
"I am calm. I don't think that lion is."  
The lion looked at me sternly. It leaped and almost clawed my hand off.  
"O.k that was scary," I said.  
"Don't over think it. Snatch it as quick as you can," said Natasha. As soon as she spoke, the lion charged forth and made a swinging motion with its claw; barely reaching my face. It was probably my imagination, but the lion looked as close as it was before.  
''Pull me up! Pull me up!'' I said screaming in despair.  
Natasha reached over and grabbed my hair, threw me over her head and I landed to my back in pain against the door. I struggled with the keys as all of my insides couldn't stop shaking. There's nothing braver enough than going face to face vertically with a lion and living to tell the tale. They way I was feeling however, that was something I didn't want to brag about. Natasha flipped over the keys as she found the right one, opened the door and locked behind her. We both started to breathe heavily.  
"O.k. That was too close for comfort," I said.  
"Yeah. Too close," said Natasha. "Hey, you better call Muchiko to see if she's alright."  
I nodded as I reached for my phone and dialed the number.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen I was still trying to catch my breath of the horror that we have just encountered. I knew that the Sistine Chapel was one of the most famous buildings in religion. If someone would've told me that it was a very safe place, I would cleanly say, ''I know, but you haven't seen the lion's den.'' After relaxing, I called Muchiko. ''Hey, you o.k out there?'' Muchiko gave me a very unforgettable answer. ''I'm always fine alone. But as you can hear, I'm about to go one on one with a multitude of about two hundred very pissed off people. So I have to call you back.'' I hung up the cellphone with my mouth opened in shock. ''Well, what did she say? She's not getting drunk is she?'' said Natasha. ''No. She's fine.'' Hey it was clearly a lie. I wasn't going to be the one to tell Natasha that Muchiko was busy fighting a small army. I'll leave that job for someone who can handle Natasha's angry mood. And I knew that job didn't belong to me. We continued to walk, when I felt a string on my left shoulder. In all instincts I had with objects like this, it told me not to pull on it. Well I had that part covered, but Natasha didn't. It was clearly almost invisible, so I had no idea of how either Natasha or I were able to see it. So, as the string was pulled, we waited in horror as nothing happened. This terrified me a lot more than ever. Pulling on to something and then not happening right away? I guess this was how a horror game felt like. Very creepy of course. Then a banging of the door on our left. I was about to open it, but then Natasha stopped me. ''Are you crazy? Haven't you learned your manners? You have to ask first who it is.'' I had a feeling that whatever or whoever was on the other side, wasn't going to be as nice and answer our question. That would make things a bit too simple and things that are simple for me tend to be difficult for everyone else. The banging continued. I looked at Natasha with a puzzled look on my face. Natasha kept shaking her head. So then Natasha knocked on the door. This I've seen from Muchiko back in the Russian hotel we were in. ''Is anybody in there?'' said Natasha. No answer. I was clearly upset and opened the door, but it was locked. ''Just great. Now how do we get in?'' I asked. It was clear that it was locked from the inside. Then trouble emerged from the door that we came out of as the three lions staring at us. ''Just don't panic...don't panic,'' Natasha kept saying in a whisper. I looked through my pockets to find the keys that we fished out of the first room. I slowly turned around and tried the two keys. It worked on the first try. Natasha, being the crazy friend that she is, the moment the door opened she let out a huge panic attack and pushed me in the room. The lions came running towards Natasha. I pulled her inside, and locked the fully metal door. ''O.k, that was too close,'' I said. I know that the lions won't come through. The way Natasha looked at me relieved for a bit. When her eyes shifted to the right very slowly as so I won't notice it, her face changed from relief to just plain scared. ''What is it? Is it a ghost?'' I said, becoming more frightened. I slowly turned around and then I saw what looked like an angel with a key in its hand. Golden hair, white dress, and what looked like a sword. ''Angels don't commonly carry keys right? I mean, they're not salesmen, are they?'' I asked in panic. ''Wait a minute. Then that would mean...oh no." "What is it?" "Those are the keys to the Abyss!" There are words that are not curse words that I try my best to stray away from using in my daily conquest of life. The word "Abyss" was around the top of the list, frankly because I knew what it meant and what Natasha was talking about. It became a lot worse when the angel pointed its sword to the ceiling and a star that was a bit bigger than me came crashing down. Neither

Natasha or I didn't know whether we actually wanted to hurt the angel. We still couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman since the star was bright enough that it made the question much harder to answer. The key was placed inside the star as it opened. Smoke came out of it as if it was from a furnace. Then the worst:

The inside of the star let out a screech like an eagle getting scraped on the leg with a surgerical knife. Already with a loud noise as a preview for what we were about to witness, I braced for the worse. The angel disappeared, while the smoke inside of the star began to expand, covering the ceiling. Natasha was getting scared by the minute. ''Dang it! Call Muchiko!'' she said. I checked my phone, and the cutest thing: no signal. ''Nothing!'' I said. A scorpion's tail emerged through the hole, on the side of a flying grasshopper. First there was only one, then about ten thousand emerged. ''Can we panic now?'' I said, in a very terrified tone. Natasha grabbed me and held me really close. The look on her face told the tale: as worried as she was, it looked like Natasha was going to fight this menance head on. The smoke was starting to come down on us. I began to held my breath and watch the bugs from across the room as they stood still keeping an eye on us. Unfortunately, there wasn't much in the room that we could use to defend ourselves. I have never seen grasshoppers that were afraid of books. So much for that. The grasshoppers flew towards us. I pulled Natasha and ran to the door. Picking against lions and grasshoppers with scorpion stingers was an easy choice. I just hope it was a smart one. The door opened and right in my face was Muchiko holding a jar of liquid nitrogen. ''Down asshole!'' she screamed. I threw myself down to her legs, tackling her to the ground. Natasha dived to the other side. Muchiko launched it into the air. The jar broke open airborne while the liquid quickly evaporated into vapor. Natasha quickly closed the door. A few seconds later, we heard the sounds of glass shattering to the ground. I stared right at Muchiko. ''You're late,'' said Natasha. ''Oh screw you,'' said Muchiko. I was so happy to see her. As I turned around, the three lions were all sliced in half. It was a very gruseome sight. Either the lions were very vicious andMuchiko had no choice, or she did it out of her own free will. There isn't a way to pick both. ''So where do we go from here?'' said Natasha. ''We're heading north. I saw Harumi escape from here,'' said Muchiko sternly. ''So what was the point of us coming here?'' I said. Muchiko turned to the long hallway. ''Obvious distraction.'' We ran down the long hallway. There were no more traps to follow, so maybe Muchiko was right. There were guards posted on the top floor. It was almost morning. Very rarely would I have stayed up for a full day. But there was another problem besides me falling asleep on top of Natasha's shoulder. ''You guys think there's a bathroom around here?'' Natasha looked at the four doors in front of her and slowly opened the door that was closest to her left. Sure enough, it was the bathroom. ''Well go ahead,'' said Natasha. ''Make it snappy,'' said Muchiko. Of course she was in a very rushy mood. So I went in. At least there was nothing odd about clean if you ask me. I sat there, thinking of where Harumi would've gone. Then it hit me hard in the face like a pure idiot. I opened the door carefully. ''She's heading to France!'' I said. Muchiko looked terrified. ''She's assembling her army there.'' ''Army?'' ''Yeah. First she'll head there to try and attempt to get more followers.'' ''And then?'' ''I...dont know.'' ''What do you mean you don't know!'' Natasha couldn't contain herself, even though she knew she had to be in a whispering state. I heard the guards coming downstairs. ''Break out now!'' I said. Natasha just stared at me. I figured as much. Jessie was the one who used that phrase whenever it looked like she and her friends were about to get into trouble. She'll just yell ''Break out!'' and all of her friends would scatter all over the place. Neither of my new friends heard of that lingo before. So I made it simpler. ''Let's go!'' I screamed. Muchiko grabbed me and grabbed Natasha's hand as we jumped through the window. Probably one of the best snap decisions I've ever seen her make. The other good thing about the jump was that it was about three feet into the icy ground. We landed on our backs and rolled towards the icy street. Now we had to decide on how to get through the ice without any skates. I immediately slipped and fell. I guess the sun coming up made things difficult for me: that and of course me becoming very sleepy. Natasha shook her head at me as a strong wind flew past us. I still couldnt see how Muchiko wasnt suffering through the cold. Going all out with just a dress isn't good for anyone's health, but then again, this was Muchiko we were talking about. So I wouldn't bother questioning it. She was deep in thought, the wind blowing her dress all over the place. Even her panties matched her dress. Natasha knocked on Muchiko's head. ''Hey wake up in there.'' Then she turned to me. ''Maybe she's frozen.'' Muchiko's eyes were looking at a building up ahead. Then she finally looked at me. ''Shhh, you hear that?'' I kept quiet. Nothing. ''There's nothing Muchiko,'' I said. Then I heard a rumbling sound like boulders crashing down up ahead. ''Hey Muchiko, whatever happened to that multitude of people you said you were taking on earlier?'' said Natasha. ''Obvious lie. There was nothing I could think of as an excuse for 'I'm using the restroom', so it was the best I could think of.'' Well that made sense, sort of. I kept looking up ahead to see what Muchiko was refering to. The rumbling sound was heard closely, then it suddenly stopped. ''See? That wasn't so bad,'' said Natasha, really worried. ''Now let's all go home.'' Muchiko started to run towards the source of the sound. Natasha carried me in a threshold as we followed her. I was a bit embarassed, but I had no reason to be. There was no one on the streets, which made sense. No one told them to ever come prepared with ice skates in situations like this. Muchiko hid behind the building as I noticed that the townspeople were finally peeking out of their windows. See? Nothing to be scared of. Muchiko turned around and was in pure shock. About five miles away, was Harumi, with her helicopter pointed right at us. I've seen that type of helicopter before. ''What the? That's a Hind D!'' said Natasha. And apparently, she did too. Harumi spoke through her megaphone. ''Well sister. It's very comforting that you made a lovely ice skating rink here, but now it's time to catch some real big fish. See you in Paris.'' And she flew away. ''How in the world did she get her hands on a Russian gunship?'' said Natasha. ''Trust me, she isn't doing this herself,'' said Muchiko. ''She's too stubborn to hatch something this massive.'' I didn't know what was going on. I also had to remind my friends of one major problem. ''Excuse me ladies, but how are we going to get across the ice here?'' Muchiko went back to her thinking pose. As mentioned before, we didn't know the language, so we had no idea how we could've asked for help, much less ask for directions for a ski lodge. I knew that the Alps were north and so was Switzerland. I was about to speak when Natasha pointed to my left. There were a bunch of cops coming towards us. I tried to shake Muchiko to at least snap out of whatever dream she was daydreaming of. ''Muchiko wake up!'' I shouted. She finally snapped out of it. ''Fine. We'll just steal a car.'' ''What? I don't wanna steal something that looks like a suitcase in which I won't have a chance to fit in,'' said Natasha. ''How about an Alfa Romero?'' ''There isn't one around here anyway. And plus, those are unmarked police cars up ahead. I'll get into serious trouble by stealing one of those.'' ''Well arent you going to get in trouble by stealiing a car in the first place?'' ''As long as it isn't expensive then I'll be fine.'' ''Can we just pick one and just go with it?'' I finally blurted out. ''Well o.k fine. But no candy for you," said Natasha. We managed to get our hands on a Beetle. It looked a lot more like a two seater. The back was all scrunched up with no way to get any apparent leg room. And just my luck, I had the privlidge of sitting in the back, while Muchiko took the wheel and Natasha sat next to her. I had to lie on my back like I was in some sort of vibrating matress. I already experienced firsthand how Muchiko drives. Seeing her drive through the ice would really be interesting. Natasha hotwired the car as I turned around to see the cops about to shoot us. ''Muchiko, they're about to open fire. What do we do?'' I said. She took a long look at the rearview mirror. Then she pressed down on the gas. The car started to spin around as it tried very much to get a grip on the ice. It wasn't doing too good. ''Geez, couldn't you think of anything else to put on the water besides liquid nitrogen for a change?'' said Natasha. ''You know, at least you would've thrown some perfume or fragrance.'' Muchiko completely ignored her and did her best to drive. Luckily the police were busy slipping around that they couldn't even bring a car or at least a motorcycle to chase us. Which is always a good thing. Muchiko had a good grip in trying to maintain the car. I was getting thrown around, hoping in vain that I don't crash through the window. "Hey Kathy, you got your seatbelt on back there?" said Natasha. I finally found the thing under the seat. Plus, with the way Muchiko took off, I didn't have time to even search for the thing. It was as if she was in a drag race. We made it to the other side of Rome, which basically meant she drove east, not north. "Hey map girl, you're supposed to be leading the way," said Muchiko angirly. "Well if you gave me time, I could've looked around at my surroundings." "I dont think you have time for that right now," said a scared Natasha. The road was clear of ice, but there was a huge police blockade. "I knew we should've made that left turn," said Muchiko. "Actually it would've been another right," I said. ''So are we going to bash through the barricade of cops with a car that's smaller than me? Are you mad?'' said Natasha. Did she really have to ask? I dived for the gas pedal and pushed it with my hands. Muchiko wasn't surprised by the sudden manuever I made. All she said was ''Everyone duck.'' I was still confused, with the bullets whizzing by us every which way, that the Italian police would go through so much trouble in stopping a bunch of car thieves. Man, this was a dangerous country. ''Hang on!'' yelled Muchiko. The car busted through the police barricade, while running over two cops. We kept driving through the newly formed traffic that was up ahead. I made a small peek to see if the cops were after us. Sure enough, they were. ''Hey Muchiko, you wouldn't to have anymore spike strips on you? We could really use them right now,'' I said. ''Nope. Nothing of that sort.'' Well, there goes my theory of her becoming prepared for anything. Natasha suddenly grabbed the steering wheel and turned it suddenly to the left. We arrived in a parking lot of a supermarket. At around seven in the morning, I wouldn't strive for any of the stores to be open this early. ''What was that for?'' said Muchiko. ''We need a new ride. One of which I need to be able to fit on,'' said Natasha. ''And also one fast enough so that we can reach France very quickly,'' I added. Careful to not get Muchiko angry, Natasha broke a window of a grocery van. ''Hey, we going or what?'' she said. Muchiko spat at the floor. ''I guess we don't have a choice,'' she said. I climbed up, following Muchiko. The van looked empty, and the supplies were all cleaned out from the back. A nice funny joke if you ask me; in addition to the store not being opened. Natasha was behind the wheel, hotwiring it of course, while Muchiko was in the back, stacking test tube bottles. I sat in the passenger's seat, very sleepy. It was more than twenty four hours since I slept, and it was starting to wear out on me. I didn't know how Natasha has so much energy. Maybe it was because of so much adrenline that she has during the day from one of these crazy adventures. Or she's sneaking in some caffine that I didn't know about. Either way, it just wasn't fair. Natasha started up the van, but then suddenly, like idiots, we realized that the broken down car was still in the parking lot. ''Dammitt! Someone get that car away from here!'' I shouted. Muchiko sighed. ''Fine, let me do it.'' She got out from the back, poured some stuff on it, and came back in. ''See? Handmade cobra poision. Isn't it so much fun when it's vaporized?'' ''Wait a sec. I thought you didn't like Biology stuff,'' I said. ''I said vapor, not a real snake.'' ''Well fair enough.'' ''I said get rid of the thing,'' said Natasha. Facepalm. The cops arrived and pointed their guns at us. ''Hold your breaths,'' said Muchiko. They stood there and then all of a sudden, they started coughing. Natasha cranked the pedal and we were off. We were finally able to breathe again after about two minutes down the road. We had no map to look at and in order for my map skills to work, I just had to look at either one road sign or a piece of a map. The good thing was that it was morning. The country air filled the van, carrying the feel of spring. A better smell than that vapor of course. ''So, we gotta find a way to head north somehow,'' said Natasha. ''Anyone looked through and see anything we could've used as an exit while we were being chased down?'' I shook my head. Muchiko was just quiet. There were no signs here outside the city. No gps, no one for help. Nothing. Natasha continued to drive, until we saw a town a few miles over. ''Look, it's civilization!'' said Natasha. ''Relax Russian; we've only been lost for a good six minutes. Eventually, we would've found something sooner or later,'' said Muchiko. All I hoped was that Harumi wasn't waiting for us there. A sign said the words, ''Fumicino'' and up ahead we saw an airport. ''See? We can get there twice as fast,'' said Natasha. ''Just take the next fight out.'' ''Are you sure youu have enough money?'' I said. ''Hey, I got me a credit card. We're good as gold.'' Muchiko stepped in. ''I dont think you have enough.'' ''And how do you know that one braniac?'' ''Trust me, I'm pretty positive. With your splurging, you probably only have much to buy a candy bar.'' Natasha didn't feel happy to hear that insult. She looked down at the ground as if ready to pounce, but stepped back and grabbed a biker who was passing by. Muchiko and I simply watched dumbfounded as Natasha started reaching for the guy's pants. The guy was obviously screaming for help, but Natasha punched him out, found a phone, stepped away from us, and dialed a number. ''O.k. Why didn't we help her?'' I asked. Muchiko noted. ''Case of urgent emergency. It was probably something she needed, so that is why we didn't bother her.'' ''But she could've killed him.'' ''But she didn't.'' ''Yeah, but-'' ''Hey, don't worry about it. By the way, dont you have money?'' ''I do, but I'm not a fan of converting money for the country's own well being and happiness. It feels like I have to follow their rules, and I only follow my own.'' It was the best reason I could've thought of as well. Natasha was still on the phone, and it looked as though she was losing the war. She hungup the phone quietly and placed it on her pocket. ''Well, whats the story?'' I said. I knew I wasn't going to hear any relieving news. Whatever she wanted to tell us, I was ready. ''My parents said they were really furious as to me spending a lot of money on travel that they're not going to even bother putting more money in. They didnt know that they're bank account was depleting so quickly. I told them a bit of the situation, but they thought it was all a lie.'' ''What about the house robbery that happened? They didn't believe that?'' I said. ''Nope. Not a word. My parents live back in Moscow and they were arguing with me as to why I didn't come to see I told them that Anya died, they immediatly want to send me home.'' ''So now...you're a rich runaway,'' said Muchiko. ''Yeah. And I do have a good amount of money. Just enough for two plane tickets.'' Muchiko gave it some thought. ''Listen,'' I spoke up ahead of her. ''I don't want to be the one to beg and I am sorry of what happened to you Natasha, but we got a job to do.'' Natasha nodded and stole the guys' wallet. ''O.k. We have enough. Now what?'' ''We head to the airport,'' I said. ''How? We can't all fit on a bike.'' ''I think we can,'' said Muchiko. As I picked up the bike, we played rock, paper, scissors together to see who would ride the bike. The two losers would go through uncomfortable positions on the bike. I've played rock paper scissors before, but never with three people. So we all went at it. I threw out paper and so did Muchiko, while Natasha had rock. So she was eliminated. So it was me and Muchiko. I threw out paper and Muchiko threw out rock. ''Yes, I won!'' I said. Muchiko gave a little smirk. ''Nope I did.'' ''Hey wait a minute-'' Before I could answer, Muchiko smacked my hand with a fist. ''That really hurts,'' I blurted out. ''See? I won.'' Natasha was on the bike. ''I had rock first remember?'' So the bike riding looked like the following: Natasha was at the helm, Muchiko was standing on top of the wheel behind Natasha, while I was at the front of the bike, my head between the handlebars. It was pretty weird riding through the streets and to the airport, but when abandoning a van to cover up your tracks and dumping a body on the side of the road to make it seem like the mafia did it, stealing a bike made me feel a lot better. There were stares of course and my back began to hurt a bit, but at least we were making good time. ''How are you holding up there?'' said Muchiko. ''I'm o.k,'' I said. Natasha was just whistling by, as if everything was alright. Then I overheard Muchiko say to her: ''Pedal faster Russian.'' The tone of her voice was just very scary. Natasha immediately stopped the whistling and pedaled as if she was on a race. ''Hey, careful on the traffic,'' I said. It was as though Muchiko had a gun on Natasha's back. She zoomedpassed loads of traffic. Then a truck was heading for us. ''Dang it girl, look out!'' I screamed. I felt Natasha's heart beat behind me. She was getting tired. This still didn't explain her adreline and excitement through the course of this adventure. Natasha made a quick break to the right and hit the brakes hard to avoide a collision with a parked car. ''Muchiko, take over,'' she said, in an exhausted tone. Muchiko nodded as they switched places. I still stayed where I was. I didn't mind the job I had being a small gps for now. Muchiko, however, was about to make the job for me a bit more difficult. So we pressed on as we continuned through the streets. I had a small look of the city from my positioning, but it was a very relaxed part of town. It was one of those places where people were getting through without any interruptions. The bad thing about the outstreched land was that it was a city by the sea. I gave a frightened look at the water. I hoped that we didn't have to go back out there. ''The view is beautiful,'' said Natasha. ''It'll be the last time we have a look at it,'' said Muchiko. The rest of the city was really congested with cars and smoke. We made it to the airport, which was, not surprisingly, really clean. As we entered the terminal, Muchiko turned to Natasha. ''Are you sure you have enough for all of us?'' ''Hey, you should be glad we're not bringing in luggage. That would obviously be too much money. What with all the fees and stuff.'' ''Right fees. Well time to do something drastic.'' I looked at Muchiko with a stern look in my face. Drastic for her meant trouble for us. She walked slowly to the right, and broke left running. ''Hey come back!'' I screamed with Natasha following me. Muchiko ran a whole lot faster than we did, which wasn't good. Me running track in school, and I was getting beat by a girl with a wedding dress. If my friends found out, I would really never hear the end of it. Natasha pulled me aside and stole a luggage cart. "C'mon, we can still catch up to her," said Natasha. "Thanks, but I wanna catch her without any vechicle help," I said getting off and continuing to run. I felt a bit upset to leave Natasha like that, but Muchiko was getting closer to my grasp. She turned around and knocked over a big piece of luggage to try and slow me down. I hopped over it, but Natasha wasn't as lucky as she stopped and almost toppled over the luggage cart. Dang it. I guess she was going to France and making sure that no one was going to stop her. Muchiko pushed over a number of people, tourists, and went by the metal detectors. A huge beeping sound occured as the police chased her down. I put my phone and my cute moon earrings on the little table, went through, got my stuff back, and continued running. I was starting to get tired, but I kept pressing on. There was a rule that I remembered while I became a star in my school for running track that my coach taught me: "If you have a goal for running or a reason, kept going and don't stop. If you do, all your dreams and reasons will go up in smoke." I took that saying in stride. I wasn't going to let Muchiko ruin my fun. If I catch her, and at least beat some sense in her, then all will be well. If she escaped, then all will be not well. I looked behind me to see Natasha standing right in front of the metal detectors like she was staring at a wall blocking her path. I didn't know what was the hold up, but I kept going. The gate was very much like a mile away. Muchiko was getting close to it. I didn't want to fail, but it looked as though Muchiko beat me to it. I had to give her credit on this one: at least she didn't hose down any security officer chasing her like she always does. What worried me the most was that they didn't check her chemistry pockets. Bringing illegal objects into a plane was going to be really troublesome for her. Unless she didn't make it on the was close, but she was brought down. For someone as tough as Muchiko, they made it look easy. ''Hey hey, don't hurt her,'' I said. It wasn't working. Security ignored me, as usual. Natasha came behind me. ''Woo-hoo, they finally got her,'' she said. ''That's not funny. We have to get out of here.'' I tried my best to shuffle through the crowd of officers. ''Excuse me. She's with me. Can you please not try breaking her wrist?'' I was still being ignored. I nodded to Natasha. She shook her head. When Muchiko was heavily restrained, they were about to check her pockets when I threw myself at one of the officers, pretending that Natasha tripped me. ''That really hurts,'' I said. ''Oh I'm sorry,'' she replied. There were like five officers around her, so taking out three of them was a good thing. One of them was about to cuff Natasha, but I jumped up and kicked him square in the face. Natasha grabbed Muchiko as we ran off to the stairs. ''Gee Muchiko that was one heck of a performance,'' I said to her. ''Shut up.'' We went down the stairs to what seemed like forever. As we reached to what looked like the basement floor, I opened the door very gently to see if the coast was clear. ''O.k. No security presense...at least not yet,'' I said. Muchiko shoved me out of the way and made a break for it. Natasha followed her as I landed on the ground. The sound of the footsteps coming down the stars meant that I only had minutes before I was taken in. And my friends were almost out the airport. With little strength that I had, I picked myself up and made a dash for it. Natasha noticed that I was gone and waited at the entrance way. ''Pick up the pace, little girl!'' she shouted. I kept running even when there was no one chasing me. Then I heard something that made me feelreally jumpy: dogs were now chasing me. I reached for Natasha's extended hand. ''We got to keep moving,'' shouted Muchiko on the other side of the block. I made it outside, where it became really cloudy. Please let that not be a bad sign. The sounds of sirens up ahead made things really worse for us. Muchiko stopped and was about to attack, but I grabbed her. ''Are you trying to get us into more trouble? We have to keep going,'' I said. ''But I can stop them,'' she said. ''Not against these guys.'' Natasha took lead as we kept running to the port that we saw earlier. Great, just when I thought we weren't going to do anymore water escapes. Natasha took me by the hand as we headed to the port called Ostia Antica. Lucky us, there was a boat that was headed to the island west of Italy called Corsica. I obviously never heard of this place, but as Muchiko put it, it's the only escape route we can use to hide out from. I didn't think at all that Muchiko knew the island was inhabited. I had a feeling that it was, but here we are, in a small motorboat which Natasha knew how to control. That didn't surprise at all. ''O.k be careful. Don't go all crazy you hear?'' said Muchiko. ''Oh you can trust me on this one,'' said Natasha. ''I can assure you I know what I'm doing.'' As I looked out at the island that we were approaching, I tried my hardest to not feel dizzy and to suddenly fall in the water. I turned around to see the police stand on the shore watching us escape. No helicopters, no boats, of anything of that sort. It looked as though it was a clean getaway. Which was real fishy, pardon the pun. We were eight miles off shore. ''See? All clear sailing ahead,'' said Natasha. ''Dont bet on it,'' said Muchiko.''Something doesn't seem right. They should've at least sent something after us.'' "Either way, it dosent matter right? We'll rest there and get up in the morning.'' ''No rest alright?'' I laid back to notice that the water became pitch black. This was starting to get really insane. Whatever was down there, did not like to see us trespassing through here. ''Girls, I think something is following us,'' I said. ''Down below.'' Natasha immediatly stopped the boat, took a quick glance below her, and began to hyperventilate. Muchiko laid her down and gave her a small cup of water. ''What do you mean?'' said Muchiko.''You must be hallucinating.'' ''Well how did Natasha collapse then?'' The water was a crystal blue again. Natasha began to regain her composure. ''No one move at all,'' she said. Muchiko's eyes shifted around the water. I've never seen her so studious before. Then she sneezed. Oh crap... There was a huge rumble in the sea. The black figure appeared and crashed into the boat as we all fell out. I swam and with Natasha's help, got the motorboat right side up. ''Where's Muchiko?'' said Natasha as she helped me get on the boat. ''Damn, she must've sunk down. I'm going in.'' ''Are you crazy? I know what's down there.'' ''So do I. It's my chemistry tutor.'' Natasha took a deep breath. ''O.k. be careful.'' I gave her a thumbs up as I took a dive. It was pretty easy to spot someone underwater with a wedding dress on, not that I would want to do that since it felt really weird. I immediatly saw her in the distance. It looked as though she was knocked out by being the only person who hit her head on the side of the boat. What luck. I felt really happy that I was going to save Muchiko but I didn't notice the large figure behind me. As I approached her, Muchiko cocked her head up and her expression of pure shock and finger pointing told me to turn around. My fear of water went up by tenfold as a huge angry blue whale was staring down straight in my face. Dang it, what did I do now? I never did anything wrong to sea creatures. Thanks to my two crazy friends, I'm a bit afraid of water. Muchiko quickly grabbed me and started to swim upshore. The whale charged at us, but barely missed Muchiko. I was able to reach the surface when I noticed that Natasha was four feet to my right. Man, now I have to try and out swim a whale. ''C'mon Muchiko. Now it's your turn to pick up the pace,'' I said. ''I'm sorry but these clothes arent made for swimming." It was a perfectly well made excuse. And I wasn't falling for it. Natasha was jumping up and down on the motorboat like a sugar filled cheerleader. "C'MON C'MON HURRY UP!" she screamed. I made one glance behind me. Muchiko was indeed struggling as though she has never been swimming before. I began to slow down to extend my hand to try and reach for her, but when I saw that the whale was really close to her, I kept swimming. I know I was an idiot for doing that, but I'm trying my best not to get killed here. Also, I wasn't the one with the James Bond belt of gadgets. I reached the boat first. Natasha helped me up. Out of breath, I turned around to see Muchiko swim towards me. There was a good chance she'll make it. ''C'mon, your almost there,'' I said. Muchiko started to swim much faster. I reached my hand over the boat with Natasha holding me from behind. I felt her white fingernails scrape my hand. I grabbed her soaking wet hand, but the whale tossed her up, and swallowed her whole. Then it descended back into the sea. I stood there, one knee, with the same kind of position I was in; this time my mouth was wide open in shock. I couldn't scream. I couldn't cry. All my brain registered was: "did this realy just happen?" I stayed there, until Natasha pulled me away from the water and held on to me silently. She couldn't speak either. I felt a tear roll off my shoulder. I still couldn't shake off the image in my head. A killer whale was the only mammal I could think of who toss objects into the air, not a white whale. Unfortunately, we didn't have any spears in the boat. I tried to relax, but then Natasha let out a scream. What me and her did not notice, was that a rope was tied to my left leg. How Natasha and I did not notice that was beyond me, but I felt myself getting pulled back into the sea. The rope began to tighten my leg as I screamed in pain. Natasha didn't know whether to try and cut off the rope or hold on to me. Gee, how would you save a person who's now hydrophobic? ''Dammit find something and cut the rope!'' I yelled. Natasha reached through her pockets and the boat. I reached for my pockets when I realized that me not holding on to the boat would make the rope drag me down a whole lot faster. ''Natasha, reach for my pockets until you find something sharp,'' I said. ''And hurry.'' Natasha searched my back pocket first, then the front. ''Still nothing.'' She tried to untangle the rope from my leg, but it was too tight. Then the scariest thing occured: the boat started to move forward. I totally forgot to even consider if Muchiko was still alive. For our sake, she better be. Natasha held on to me, while I held on to the boat. The pain was too much for me to handle, but as much as I can, I toughened it out. Thats all you can do when faced with a very very difficult circumstance such as a crazy white whale attacking travelers on their way to the island of Corisica. Natasha decided to do the strange thing: she began to bite on the rope very inducively. "Girl, what are you doing?" I said. "What does it look like? I'm trying to set you free." I know that her chainsaw was plastic from the convention, but I really wished she had it with her. Just seeing a tool that could cut through the rope would make me feel a whole lot better right now. Surprisingly, Natasha was able to free a piece of the rope that was tied. I managed to eventually free the rest before it started to turn my leg purple. The rope disappeared into the water. I held my leg in severe discomforting pain. ''Hey you o.k?'' said Natasha, trying her best to cheer me up in a way I really didn't understand. ''I'm alright,'' I said as a clear lie. Me being hurt was something I could live with, but of course there was a major problem: one of which regarding a friend and hoping that the whale hasn't swallowed her up completely. I lay on my back while Natasha scouted the area. I took a glance over to my left and right. ''Natty, do you see anything?'' I asked. '' .'' ''I'm pretty sure she would've survived.'' ''Just be glad it wasn't a shark.'' The word "shark" made me flinch. I guess it was Natasha's job to make my pain worse. Still, I knew that we would wait and that we weren't leaving without her. Who knows when I'll have another chemistry test. Natasha quickly shouted: ''I see something!'' I stood up and saw a feint yellow fog above the surface of the water to our left, away from where the rope was dislodged from my leg. Natasha powered up the motorboat and went in that direction. As we arrived, it constituted as a fowl stench. We couldnt even hardly breathe. Natasha pulled back the boat and it felt as though there was a bump on the water. ''Sea turtle?'' she said. It wasn't a turtle, but more of an angry asian. I didn't say a word as Muchiko climbed onto the boat. Then she smacked Natasha. ''That was for knocking my head on the boat,'' she said. ''Lucky I didn't slip into unconsciousness again.'' ''Oh that, no worries.'' I gave her a huge hug. Her right arm, from her elbow to the base of her thumb, had a huge cut right through it. Thank goodness I didn't see bone. I didn't want to faint again. Of course, I had to ask. "So how did you survive the encounter?" Muchiko motioned to Natasha to reach for her left side pocket, which she found scotch tape. She reached for her back pocket with a tube with blue liquid which I immediatlyrecognized as Iodine. She poured the whole tube on her right arm and then taped it up. It looked more like a cast than a bunch of tapes thrown together. "Well it was simple," she started. "As I dropped below into the whale's mouth, I hung on to the base of the tongue. It placed itself back in a horizontal position and was about to close its mouth as I threw over a rope, for hopes in you girls breaking me free. Then when nothing happened, I stirred up some Mustard Gas, a World War one favorite. I had to hold my breath and cover up my skin so much that I won't get exposed. I never tried at all to make mustard gas ONLY in life or death situations." After all the hell we've been through, I'm really surprised she used it now. "So I threw it right on its mouth. It tried to swallow water or even plankton to try and cover it up, but to no avail. It took over its skin and I was able to break free. That is, until it got a good bite of my left arm." "I guess it got the last laugh right?" I said. "Speak for yourself." She had a detenator on her pocket. ''Everyone duck.'' She pushed the button. Natasha dived to cover me. Then...nothing. Muchiko laughed. ''Relax, I was only joking. I wouldn't hurt an animal, only poison it." "What about the lions in the lions' den?" I said. "Like I said, that was self-defense." Natasha gave her a military salute, as she continuned on to the Island of Corsica. We arrived in the island at night. It was like seeing a crown with lights on a hill. A really beautiful port city. The nice thing was, when we arrived, the citizens of the island didn't care that we stole the boat, or that we were trying to escape the police after breaking into an airplane with chemistry items. They were really friendly. They even took Muchiko quickly to a hospital nearby while Natasha and I tied up the boat to the raft. We followed Muchiko to the hospital. I was so sleepy, I tripped near some kids who were playing with some seals. I gave a little smile. Natasha helped me up as a seal came up to me and rubbed my nose with its nose. ''I guess they really do like you a lot,'' said Natasha. Guess I better put some seals on my christmas list. I waved bye as we continuned following Muchiko to the hospital. We decided to wait on the waiting area until I fell asleep on Natasha's knees. Another dream I had and this time, it was regarding was climbing a hill and telling me to come along. I followed her and what followed afterwards was a horrific scene. Buildings were all on fire, people were scrurring all over the place, and there were tanks shooting down soldiers. Looking at some of the buildings, I recognized the place as being Tokyo. I wanted to run down the hill and help, but Natasha held me back. She kept repeating the same message: "I don't want to see you get hurt." I really didn't care if I was about to get hurt, at least I knew I was doing something right by going down there, but Natasha had a huge grip on me that I couldn't break free from. A bomber plane flew overhead and threw out...another nuclear bomb. I let out a scream and realized that I was awake. "Hey you alright?" asked Natasha. It was morning. I rubbed my eyes and realized on her face that Natasha stayed up the whole night. When someone has a cup of coffee right next to them, that's probably a good guess as any. I was about to run into the room to check up on Muchiko, but then a loud fog horn stopped me on my tracks. "What the heck was that?" I said. "Stay here," ordered Natasha. "I'll see whats up." She walked out of the hospital. I immediately followed. The hospital wasn't that far from where we docked our motorboat. Still, it felt like it would take a while. Natasha took a bike and sped off. I of course, jogged. A huge cruise ship came in the port overhead the small buildings. In a slient stride, I kept following Natasha on the left side of the road against traffic. We were safe from the accidents, but if the boat had the same people that were chasing us before, then it was going to result in huge problems. Natasha threw the bike on the road, stopping traffic. She stood behind a tree while I snuck up behind her and poke her shoulder. "Hey, what are you doing here?" she said. "Making sure you don't get killed." "Well thats nice that your looking out for my interests." "Hey look." I was pointing at the passengers getting off the ship. One of them was a woman who was almost the same height as Natasha and arguing with a member of the crew. The woman didn't look suspicious at all, just someone with a huge temper problem. She was wearing windbreakers, and had a sports bag on her shoulder as though she was coming out of a locker room. I guess they didn't let her train for whatever sport she was preparing for. Natasha had one had on her hip looking very disgusted. "Damn, so they did call her to get me." "Huh? Call who?" "I know that yellow orange hair mixture anywhere." She came out of hiding and immediatly confronted the woman. For my own safety, I stayed back and watched. I wasn't going to get in the way of two arguing russians. However, the goth girl with a cast that suddenly appeared to my left had other ideas. "Should we kill her?" said Muchiko. "No we- hey, how long have you been there?" It surprised me as much that Muchiko was able to sneak right by me without being detected. That does explain the convention except she didn'thave any special perfume on her. The whale would've devoured her if she smelled like bananas again. "They let me out early. I decided to stay here and relax." "Well, I had a dream about Natasha and that Tokyo was getting massacred." "Well, we better keep an eye on that woman there. If Natasha doesn't want her around, then neither do we." "What makes you say that?" "She wants to take Natasha back home to Moscow. A messenger for her parents." Oh screw her. I marched through the sand to the argument scene. I immediately pushed her. "Leave Natasha alone!"I said. The woman, who was a lot taller than I was, smacked me hard, that I fell on the sand. With her good arm, Muchiko grabbed her. "You wanna explain yourself?" Natasha told her, in plain English, "Leave us alone at once Anastasia." She began to laugh. "Either you're coming back with me, or I'm joining you and your friends to keep an eye on you." "I don't think that's such a good idea," I said getting up. "Why not?" The dark clouds from Fumicino covered the island. "That's why," I said. 


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

"O.k that just looks freaking insane," said Natasha.  
"Now do you believe me?" I said to Anastasia.  
"Yes Miss Petrova. Do you believe her?" Natasha said to Anastasia.  
Anastasia looked frightened. That was a good reason. She had to trust me in saying that we're in trouble. If she wanted to be an idiot, then fine I didn't care, but I hoped that the clouds that just "happened" to move in our area would be proof enough that we were getting chased; or to a more certain extent, stalked. Muchiko looked up at the clouds, looking for some sort of opening.  
"We are totally screwed," said Muchiko.  
A blinking light appeared above me. Natasha was the only one who noticed it.  
"Look out Kathy!" said Natasha.  
She pushed me away from a fireball that came in the sky. Anastasia was about to touch it, to see if it was real. If you see a red ball smoking in the ground, why the hell would you touch it? Muchiko looked ahead to her left.  
"We got ourselves a problem," she said.  
A barrage of fireballs came down from the sky. That can be a really big problem.  
"What's going on?" said Anastasia.  
"You wanna stay here and find out or you wanna move your ass!" I said.  
"Do something! You're the smart one," said Anastasia to Muchiko. Muchiko didn't even look at her. Natasha ran behind a tree.  
"We moving or what?" she said.  
I grabbed Anastasia by the collar. Already I was tired of her whining and excessive tears. I didn't care if she was all scared and confused of what was going on, she was the one who started to poke Natasha around and trying her best to take her back home to Moscow.  
"You big bully. I really don't care what happens to you at all. Natty, Muchiko and I don't need you around, understand?" I said.  
Who knows what she could be planning randomly by showing up here. Hopefully she isn't a spy; that would really supply me with a clean bill of relief.  
"Listen, it isn't my fault. It's her parents," she replied.  
"Well, I don't give a-"  
Muchiko pulled me away after I was about to finish my sentence. "Sorry to interrupt your awesome speech, but we must go."  
Natasha actually lifted up Anastasia over her shoulder, while Muchiko grabbed my hand as we were running to a gift shop across the street. It was an insane version of war. People were running around the island really confused and scared. Harumi went way too far in her own version of trying to fish us out of the island. The trees that we were running away from were burned to a crisp. I was scared so much that every second I wasn't running, would be one step to me taking a hot ball of flame in the face. That is never pretty.  
We arrived at the gift shop. The place was abandoned almost immediately. I'm surprised that a place as popular as this would have its owners in less faith to stick by the shop rather than lose business. I understand that life is more important, but at least try and attempt to save your precious selling items. Who knows if you would survive and still make a fortune.  
It was a small shop that sold t-shirts, sunglasses, and other beach items. Muchiko was busy sniffing around.  
"Hey, whatever it is that you are looking for, can you hurry up?" said Anastasia.  
"Give her time, she'll look for something…..whatever that would be," said Natasha.  
I looked at Muchiko with a look of worry in my face. I've never seen her so exhausted running around looking for an exit of some sort. I felt the heat from outside coming inside the store.  
"Please hurry Muchiko. It's getting dangerous just standing here," I said.  
"Relax, relax. You pressuring me to go faster is very dangerous to your health. Please be patient."  
I stood in a corner of the store while Natasha and Anastasia went to another corner. Muchiko was holding the tube more like some sort of tracking device. As I crouched down in the corner, my right foot was stuck on some sort of handle. I removed my foot very carefully, and also removed a piece of the carpet. It was a door that looked like those from a dungeon which led to the basement.  
"Girls, I think I found something," I said.  
Muchiko got to me first before Natasha did. She poured a small amount of acid on the handle and then Natasha pulled it open. It was a ladder which led to the darkness below.  
"Bomb shelter," said Natasha. "Everyone in now."  
Muchiko went down the ladder. I followed, then Anastasia, and finally Natasha as she closed the door. It was completely dark. The bomb shelter area was filled with stone walls and a long puddle. I felt a hand grab mine as I heard the sound of Muchiko's voice right next to me.  
"Everyone's here?" she said.  
"'If anyone has a light' would've been a better question to ask," said Natasha.  
"I think I do," said Anastasia.  
"Be careful not to burn your finger if it is only a match."  
I saw the light of a match to my right. It felt really weird to not have a light switch on in a place like this.  
"Anyone try and feel a sort of lamp switch on the ceiling or some sort of pulling device," I said.  
I immediately felt Muchiko's leg plant itself on my shoulder as I heard a leaping sound.  
"I think I got something," she said.  
The lights went on as I saw how far up the ceiling was from the ground. Muchiko fell down as I saw that we were still in the narrow hallway. I jumped over Muchiko and turned on an actual light switch on the wall.  
The room was pretty big. There were three couches, a t.v, a kitchen and a bathroom area all on one big space. I sat on the couch as I heard the firebombs above us. The rest of the crew came in to sit down on the couches. Anastasia began to yell at Natasha in Russian.  
"Hey Ana, can you calm down?" I said. "Stop yelling please. You're giving me a headache."  
" Listen, this is something between me and her alright? It is certainly not your business and certainly not something you really don't want to get involved in."  
"I don't care. You're here, so technically it is my business."  
"This is between Natasha and her parents. NOT YOU!"  
I became angrier and angrier. It's not as she was dragged in here from her own will. I understood that she was scared and freaking out; I felt that way right now. Also, Anastasia was probably freaking out that Natasha didn't want to go with her back home, and felt like Natasha wanted to die. All of that was understandable but if someone says to you "I'm staying here and continuing to fight with my friends" and you don't respect that, then there was something really wrong. Muchiko looked at the heated argument with good interest. What sparked her angry look was the shouting that Anastasia gave me.  
"Ana, I'm going to say this in clear English so you better understand everything I say, understand?" said Muchiko. Boy, she really didn't mince words around at all. Her look was all I needed to understand if she was upset at me. I sure hope, for Anastasia's sake, she would get that memo really quickly.  
"Yes, what is it?" she said, nodding.  
"Ever since you came out of the boat a few minutes ago, you've been complaining and whining about how you wanted to go home. All of a sudden, you're freaking out because Natasha joins up with some new friends and refuses to go with you. I thought you're supposed to be tough and basically bulletproof, but I guess I saw the idiocy of your cowardice beforehand and you can even control yourself through all of this madness. If you want to go home, go home yourself. However, if you want to stay with us, then be ready to experience stuff like the things above us very daily."  
Anastasia looked very terrified. Natasha came close to her to give her the harsh reality. "Translation Ana: you're not going back home until all of this is resolved."  
Anastasia gave a huge sigh. "O.k. fine. What's going on?"  
Muchiko begin to explain our situation to Anastasia as I looked around the room in better detail. There was some canned food in most of the areas. Obviously the room itself was really dusty. Natasha tried to turn on the t.v, but nothing.  
"How old do you think the room is?" said Natasha.  
"I don't know. It looks like it was here since the World War II days. You see anything around that looks useful?" I said.  
"Nope, not a thing."  
Natasha was still trying to get the t.v to work. I didn't see enough t.v, but I wasn't that obsessed. Anastasia looked as though she was crying.  
"Muchiko, what did you say?" I said, now getting really worried about my own safety around her.  
"Just the truth, and a little bit of a threat. Nothing more, nothing less."  
"Hey Ana, are you alright?"  
"A little. O.k. I promise to contribute in any way that I can," she said.  
That was good. We needed a helping hand by any means necessary. I realized a few seconds afterwards that whoever does join us, gets killed a few hours later during one of our adventures. Natasha didn't seem worried at all.  
"So, welcome to the party," said Natasha in a very modest tone.  
"Gee thanks," said Anastasia.  
"Everybody quiet!" said Muchiko.  
"Why?" I said.  
"Quiet."  
We all stopped in silence. Anastasia stopped sobbing. Natasha dropped the t.v cord. I held my breath, which was a big mistake. Too much dust in your lungs is very painful.  
"The bombs have stopped," said Muchiko.  
I had a huge cough. Muchiko went to the narrow hallway. I followed, coughing along the way. She climbed the ladder really quickly and opened the door. The store was left intact. I climbed out. Outside the store, there were many crater holes. Natasha and Anastasia followed behind me.  
"Are there any survivors?" said Anastasia.  
"I sure as heck hope so," I said.  
Muchiko walked out of the store. The carnage on the streets was terrifying. There were some people on the streets, which was a good sign to see. The air still smelled warm and the feeling of trouble lurking on every corner was really not helping the odds at all. The island of Corsica felt like a third world country. Worst of all, burned up bodies were lying on the streets. The stench adding to the warm uncomfortable air made things really worse.  
We looked around, hoping to ask someone for some help. Some of the townspeople noticed that the gift shop was still opened. Natasha, trying her best to at least calm down the crowd, told them of the rations in the downstairs area. Anastasia helped her. It was a really good sight to see, when a huge megaphone blasted through the air.  
"EVERYONE FREEZE!"  
There was a huge assortment of military vehicles that approached us from down the road. Around five jeeps came between us and the newly formed small crowd. What I noticed was that they were driven by young teen girls; ranging from twenty-two to twenty-five. Man, I felt like I was in a planet inhabited by women. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I don't mind finding a boyfriend through this adventure. Four girls stood on our side while the rest of them tried to detain the crowd. Natasha and Anastasia fought off some of the military personnel along with the crowd. One of the girls who was on our side of the road started shooting a machine gun in the air. They all ducked on the crowd.  
"That's enough!" said the girl who fired the shots.  
Muchiko was desperate to get rid of them, but I held her arm in hopes of getting her to calm down.  
"Analyze the situation first o.k.? Let them speak. It's bad enough that you have to assume that everyone's evil and try to hurt them." I said in a whisper.  
"What? Are you serious Kathy? Look at them. They're not from the military at all. They look more or less like soldiers of fortune," she replied.  
I stepped forward to the road as three of the girls pointed their guns at me. I wasn't even afraid at all or at least breaking a sweat. After all of the hell I've been through from lions and giant whales, guns seemed like a dog's chew toy.  
"What do you want?" said one of them with glasses.  
"I mean no harm."  
"How about we blast her? I bet she had something to do with this rain of fire," said another one with black ponytails.  
"Please. We had nothing to do with this. Can't you at least blame nature?"  
The girl with glasses was skinny like Muchiko. She had coffee colored hair and black gloves. They all had the same army green like uniforms except for one who only had a white t-shirt. She was the one out of the four who made me jealous, mostly concerning her looks. She looked built, bigger, and her hands were dirty. Dirty from something I really didn't want to know since it looked really muddy, but by her clear blue eyes and shiny brown hair, she was no less a leader to these ragtime group of snotty females. The one with the black ponytails approached Muchiko.  
"And what about you? Hand over the belt," she said.  
"I really don't think you have any idea what you are asking me, friend. I would also advise you to drop your weapon. I'm not a huge fan of guns. They are the mistakes of science," said Muchiko.  
The crowd was taken away including Natasha and Anastasia. I was about to tell them that those two were with us, but I wouldn't risk another bullet inside my body. Natasha just gave a small nod as they were led to a waiting truck and drove off. The one with the white shirt approached Muchiko.  
"I have no idea where your headed dressing up like that, but Melissa told you to remove your belt for inspection. Do not make me have to use force on you," she said.  
Muchiko remained calm and never took her eyes off the girl with the white shirt.  
"What is your name?" asked Muchiko.  
"Huh?"  
"Your name."  
"Julie. Julie Francóre."  
Muchiko twisted Julie's hand to the left, grabbed her gun on her right arm and pointed it at her. I stood there shaking my head. I just finished telling her to calm down. Apparently, she really just gets what she wants.  
Muchiko place the gun on Julie's forehead. The rest of the girls had their guns drawn.  
"Muchiko, let her go," I said.  
"No. She threatened you, so she will die."  
"Let her go!" I stood between them, hoping I wouldn't get shot. That was rather very unlikely. On one side, there were three girls with machine guns and on the other, was a goth girl holding someone hostage. Yeah, I was going to die.  
Julie didn't know how to react by this.  
"Hey, just let me go. We'll leave you alone. We promise," she said.  
"I want to go to France, she said.  
"Wait wait," I said. "You took two of our friends. Where are they headed?  
"They're fine."  
I didn't trust Julie at all. I didn't know why I couldn't. She seemed innocent enough, and I didn't mind having some extra help. Just something about how she looked or remarkably, the way she was dressed. Either way, a part of me was applauding the little hostage situation that Muchiko greatly has put herself through and another part was just trying to still calm her down. I felt like I was going to lose in no matter what choice I made. Plus she didn't even answer my question.  
"I asked you a question and you didn't answer," I said.  
The rest of the girls and I simply watched as they went at it. Julie was trying to get out of Muchiko's grip, but Muchiko grabbed her other arm while putting the gun down. I thought it was a mistake on Muchiko's part, but instead she quickly whished out a tube from her right side back pocket. Julie was about to counter this and pick up her gun, but Muchiko gave her an eye poke. Pretty cheap maneuver if you ask me.  
Julie was blinded for a few seconds, but saw Muchiko coming and threw her down to the ground.  
"Watch out boss, she's got something in her hand," said Melissa.  
Julie responded to her friends' warning and started to attack her hand. During that process, Muchiko kicked the gun away to my area. I picked it up, but the girl named Melissa pointed her gun at me. I was terrified. I put my hands up and slowly stepped back. She looked like the type that was going to shoot no matter what I did. Can't she see that I wasn't even armed?  
The struggle lasted for ten minutes. Me and the group continued to watch them go at it with any amount of interference from either side. A honking of a horn from a truck far away was heard. The girls started to shoot at it as me, Muchiko and Julie watched. I could barely see the driver, but the orange hair was oh so familiar.  
"It's Natasha!" I said.  
Surprisingly, Muchiko took Julie inside the truck from the back area. I followed. It was filled with blood stains, which freaked me out. The military women, who were knocked off the road, stepped back and started shooting.  
"Go Natasha! We're inside!" I screamed.  
Natasha kept driving without stopping. The girls began to chase us in a jeep that was in the area. Muchiko put Julie in front of the opening of the back of the truck as a shield so they won't attack us. This was starting to become really insane.  
"Hey put her down," I said.  
"You wanna get shot? Well do you?" said Muchiko.  
"No but I don't condone having hostages as shields. Let her go."  
"I won't do a thing."  
She placed one of her knives near Julie's throat.  
"Tell us how to get to France, or I will drop you. The truck is going around sixty miles per hour, so you may have a broken bone if I drop you normally. However, if I drop you with force, I might shatter that pretty face of yours. So what's it going to be?"  
Anastasia began to get off her seat carefully and approach Muchiko. That was her mistake. She threw Julie to me.  
"You want some of me?" said Muchiko, in an angry tone.  
"Please calm down," said Anastasia.  
"Hey, can someone tell me if we lost them. I'm running out of road here," said Natasha.  
Muchiko looked back. "They're still behind us."  
"Damn these guys are good. Hang on."  
Julie kept staring at me like she was waiting for me to execute as I held on to her. She seemed sweet and of course like everyone we ran into today, she knew pretty good English.  
"Please don't hurt me," she said to me.  
And she was frightened.  
"Hey hey don't worry. I'm not the one who does the killing in this group. We leave that to the girl with the white dress," I said.  
Muchiko sneered. "Nevermind that. I'll take care of them myself."  
"You can't," I interjected.  
She went through her belt as me and Anastasia held her down. The girls in the jeep began to shoot. Muchiko pushed me away and a bullet whizzed by my shoulder. I was freaking out. Muchiko pushed me inches away to my death. What an awesome friend.  
Anastasia was knocked to the other corner where Julie was. Julie was about to jump out, when Natasha made a hard turn through a small forest. She fell back inside. Muchiko looked and saw that the jeep was pinned between two trees.  
"Well that took care of them," she said. "You girls alright?"  
"I'm o.k here," said Anastasia.  
"Almost got shot, but I'm good," I replied.  
"Nice driving," said Muchiko. "And I'm alright as well, just a bit angry."  
Julie looked around and took a good look at us. I didn't know what she was expecting with a group as ragged as us, but I extended my hand out to hers.  
"Are you alright?" I asked.  
She looked at my hand very carefully, and then took it as I hoisted her back up to her feet. Muchiko looked away before whispering the words "sorry" to her.  
"I'm fine," said Julie, with a small smile of her own.  
I was relieved. Natasha gave a small whistle as she drove by a town called Aléria.  
"Hey map girl, come here a second," said Natasha.  
I crawled to the passenger seat.  
"What is it?"  
"Does this map look Italian to you?"  
I took the map as she stopped near a fish market. It was really awkward to see someone like Natasha drive a military truck to a fish market. The people there were surprised as well.  
"No. It's French."  
"Huh? Isn't Corsica a part of Italy?"  
"Of course not," said Julie from behind us. "I don't think the last name of Francóre is Italian. What happened there? You girls took a wrong turn heading to Sardinia?"  
"Sort of," I said. Yes it was embarrassing to say the least, but according to the map, Corsica was close enough to the country of France. All we had to do was head to the next town of Bastia which was a couple of miles north. It was good enough that we were heading in the right direction. Getting lost as some crazy insane psycho tore apart Europe wasn't a good thing. Especially when that person's sister was with us in our journey.  
"O.k Natty, let's get moving. Unless you actually stopped and are dying to get some fish," I said.  
"No no let's go."  
The truck drove a couple of feet before it stopped completely.  
"C'mon Natty, let's go," I said very impatiently.  
"I can't. It won't start," said Natasha.  
"Hey, what's the hold up?" said Muchiko.  
"Engine trouble."  
Muchiko stepped out of the truck and went around to the part of the engine. The crowd that was there began to follow her, as if they never seen an Asian girl in a fully dressed Lolita outfit. They observed her opening the hood of the truck in pure amazement. Julie and Anastasia went to the front of the truck.  
"Is she always like this?" said Julie.  
"You mean weird? Yeah, pretty much," I said.  
"I'm going to go an help her," said Anastasia.  
"Don't die out there," said Natasha."You know how harsh Muchiko can be."  
She gave Natasha the middle finger as she stepped out of the truck. Natasha then realized something.  
"Hey, how is she going to fix up the truck without any equipment and without understanding French?" said Natasha. "Maybe you should've gone out there to help her out Julie."  
"No no, they speak another language here. It's mostly Corsu, a mix of both Italian and French," said Julie. "I know French."  
"Well, you could at least try."  
"Fine. But I better be paid by the hour."  
She left, leaving me and Natasha looking at our front hood through the windshield. Arms that were from either side of the hood represented Muchiko and shooing people away for help. Natasha was right: how in the world would she fix a truck? It looked old, and I don't think chemistry items would be in use here.  
"Hey Natty, how did you and Ana escape?" I asked just to pass the time. Natasha looked as though she didn't want to talk about it. "Was it that bad?"  
"No no, it wasn't bad. It was just really painful," she said in a very sorrowful tone.  
"How so?"  
"Well, as soon as we were on the road, Ana and I took down the drivers. The rest of the military females shot inside the truck as soon as they saw disturbance. Everyone didn't survive inside. As soon as I had the handle of the truck, I pushed the jeep over a cliff. We were fine, but then another jeep came around behind us. It was really dreadful. Ana found a small box of grenades that was stowed away in the back. She threw them right at the jeep. The grenades weren't pulled or anything, but it did get the jeep to drive face first into a hill that we passed."  
"What about the bodies that were inside?"  
"We left them on the road."  
"You what?"  
"Relax alright? It's fine. How awkward would it have been to drive along with dead bodies. We had to do something, don't you think?"  
"Yeah but.."  
"Don't say anything about the bodies to Julie alright?"  
"I'll try."  
Smoke started to come out of the engine. Then, an argument which sounded like it was between Muchiko and Julie. I wasn't surprised.  
"Natasha, would you turn on the truck please?" said Anastasia.  
Natasha did as she was told. The engine was about to start, when suddenly, a huge bang occurred. It bounced the truck upward, which made me bump my head on the ceiling really hard. Finally, another bang, and the truck's four tires fell flat. A huge sound of laughter occurred. I knew laughter wasn't a good addition of a mistake by Muchiko. I got out of the truck and was about to hold Muchiko back from whatever fight she was about to get herself into. Instead, Muchiko looked deflated and defeated. Julie gave her a little snap of her finger. I wasn't even going to ask what happened. It was tough to see Muchiko with that look on her face. It was even tougher to see Muchiko get teased in front of her and not do anything about it. Probably either Julie or Anastasia -I'm guessing more along the lines of Julie- won a bet.  
"Sorry. Me asking for help didn't work," said Julie.  
"Told you it was worth a try," said Natasha.  
We went past an inn and decided to set up our camp near the Tavignano River –according to a sign and our translator Julie-. We borrowed some supplies from the town Muchiko and I built a tent. There was a park around five miles from where we were staying, but Muchiko claimed that she was too exhausted.  
"How can you be exhausted from trying to fix a truck?" I asked.  
The result was clear.  
"I held an anti-freeze agent and was about to put it inside the engine. Then I decided against it and was about to mix Ammonium Nitrate and water, so that it can freeze."  
"Umm, o.k." She should know that I didn't understand any of this science mumbo-jumbo. I continued listening. "Then what?"  
"Julie comes in and interferes with my work. She comes in and was about to pour the Ammonium Nitrate into the engine, when I stopped her. I tried to warn her that it wasn't going to work that way, but she was really in a hurry. Ana came out and tried to stop us. We weren't fighting at all, but she accidently knocked over the tube, which poured on the engine, which cause the small explosion."  
"Wow."  
"Yeah. It is explosive, but mixed with water, it will freeze, which is what I wanted to do."  
"Well, at least your o.k."  
We set up the tent as it approached nightfall. The clouds covering the sky after the rain of fire occurred were gone. The moon was in full view as the stars appeared to "pop out" of the sky. Natasha lit a fire, while we gathered around it. I never was a fan of summer camp, but this was how it felt like. Anastasia was the first one to speak.  
"Julie, who were your friends back there chasing us?"  
She covered her face with her left hand, obviously looking embarrassed.  
"You obviously know Melissa DeFont. The one with glasses is B.B. Fayne. She's my navigator and one hell of a good one too. And the quiet one is Getty Abarashi. She's my medic and knows how to cook really well." Julie gave a long sigh.  
"What's the matter?" I said.  
"It was wrong for me to abandon them out there. They need me."  
"I'm sure they can survive without you," said Muchiko.  
"What are you saying?"  
"You'll be fine with us around."  
"Are you sure about that?"  
"Hey what are you saying?"  
"You don't need them, and you have bigger problems now."  
Julie got up and looked around in the night. She looked worried, mostly about her friends. She really shouldn't be. Natasha was brave enough to speak first.  
"I'm sure your friends are going to be alright," she said.  
"No they won't be. They're kids. I'm the oldest of all of them," she replied. "All of them are orphans. I really don't want them to get hurt."  
"They won't be."  
"Listen. I don't know anything about either of you. You girls could be….criminals for all I care."  
"Really? How rude," I said. "Suppose I told you that we, 'the group of criminals' as you say, know who started that rain of fire earlier."  
"What? How…how is that possible?"  
"Yup, it's true."  
"She's right," said Natasha. "You can kill us now, or suffer an even worse wrath at the hands of her sister named Harumi."  
I was happy that she got her name finally right; not liked I cared. Julie looked at us as though we were crazy. She turned to Muchiko.  
"How dangerous is this sister of yours?"  
"I don't even think your military training would be useful in our situation. She is a very sick individual. And her killings must be stopped?"  
"Killings? Why isn't she apprehended yet?"  
"That is a really good question," I said.  
So, Muchiko told Julie our story. Afterwards, Anastasia fell asleep, along with Natasha. Muchiko stepped inside the tent and began to work on some experiments. There was a big flash of light inside the tent. I'll probably wait until she's done before heading to sleep. I know that I'm not sleeping with goggles on.  
Julie couldn't even focus on sleeping. Looking at her face, it seemed like the story that she heard couldn't get her to concentrate. She layed there on the ground with a blanket, her eyes wide open, staring right at me.  
"Please tell me your friend was over exaggerating in the story," said Julie. "I mean, after all of that, you girls are actually alive?"  
"Pretty lucky huh," I replied.  
"How did you…but how?"  
"I just have some crazy new friends. Nothing special. I think."  
"Well, I think I'm ready."  
"Really?"  
"Yes."  
"Well, that depends. Are you tough enough to handle everything that we and Harumi throw at you?"  
"Yes I'm sure."  
I didn't know whether or not she was actually telling the truth or just playing around with my head, but she better be really positive about it. Julie gave me a random thumbs up as she fell asleep. I stood there hoping in vain that this would be all over soon, so that I could find my sister. It was going to be a long road on the way to France. It's a dangerous job, but me and my rugged friends can do it. Hopefully, without any casualties this time.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

"Everybody up?" said Natasha.  
"Yeah. Something like that," I answered.  
I didn't even have a chance to sleep. Muchiko was snoring really loudly and sweaty. She quickly disposed of whatever she was working on as soon as I came into the tent. I didn't even want to question what she was actually working on. I'll leave that up to my imagination.  
The rest of the crew woke up a few minutes after I did. I don't even know that what we were doing was even legal. Then I noticed something that wasn't there before: A rope of four tubes surrounding the camp site.  
"Hey, what are those filled of?" I asked.  
Muchiko snickered. "Ordinary carbon monoxide. It was set to go off as soon as anyone broke through the rope."  
"Even us?"  
"Yup, even you guys."  
Anastasia was about to cook and Natasha was about to re-heat the fire that was keeping us warm. Julie woke up and looked at us as though she was still in a dream.  
"Uhhh, what are you girls doing here?"  
"Well, this is no dream if you're thinking that."  
Julie was still confused. I really don't know what she was thinking, but this was real. Muchiko went past her to release the rope, while Julie and Anastasia went into the town to get some supplies. Natasha handed me a map.  
"According to this map, we should be in the port of Bastia and heading to France by the afternoon if we leave right now and barring any barricades. It's over that hill."  
"Okay Kathy. You'll be my guidance alright?"  
"Of course."  
We had to wait until Julie and Anastasia came back so that we could get going. Muchiko wanted to leave right away and I don't blame her. It was bad enough that we took as long as we did in and around Italy; it was even worse when our crew took as long as they did when the town was only ten minutes away.  
"I really hope they are o.k," I said.  
"Who cares. Natasha, hurry and get a vehicle. We're leaving," said Muchiko in her "encouraging" voice. No matter what, I wouldn't be the one to call it encouraging.  
Natasha nodded as the tent was quickly taken down. We went through a road, before Julie came by with a van.  
"Girls need a ride?" she said.  
"How cute. But I'm the one that's driving," said Natasha.  
"Huh? Says who?"  
"Says me. I got the navigator right here, so if you don't mind moving over."  
Julie got out of the van.  
"Hey, I said I called it first. I'm the one who's driving," she said.  
"Does it really matter? We're actually going over the hill here," I said. "So let's just keep moving."  
Muchiko just stood there while staring over the hill.  
"Hey you, are you o.k? What's the matter?" said Anastasia.  
"I sense something is wrong," said Muchiko.  
"Hey, poser psychic. Trust me, nothing is wrong up there," said Julie.  
"Yes there is. It's something feint in the air."  
She took out a tub with a clear liquid marked "Iodine". Finally, something I can actually know and read instead of guessing all of the time. Anastasia got out of the van and we all surrounded Muchiko. She took a whiff of the air, and corked the bottle. She shook the tube for a little bit and stared at it, while also looking at her watch. We all did the same.  
"What are we supposed to be waiting for?" said Julie.  
"Hey shush!" said Natasha.  
The liquid turned yellow in eight minutes. I was confused as the rest of the crew.  
"Uhh, what does that mean?" I said.  
Muchiko stared at it as if it would be poisonous.  
"Natasha, you drive."  
"YES!" she said happily.  
She ran into the van. I immediately got into the passenger's seat. Still, Muchiko didn't say anything.  
"Muchiko wait a minute," I said.  
"I'll be on the roof," she said and placed herself on top. Julie and Anastasia went to the backseat looking confused.  
"Boy she's weird," said Julie.  
"That is what makes her awesome," I said.  
Natasha got started behind the wheel as Anastasia went out, loaded our supplies that we needed into the van, and came back in. Natasha went past the town and started the treck on the hill. I was more worried of Muchiko falling off the van than whatever lies ahead. Then I realized the obvious.  
"Girls, Muchiko never told us what was going on," I said.  
"All she did was sniff the air," said Anastasia. "What did that do?"  
"Knowing her, a whole lot of good."  
Ana was right though. I didn't smell anything weird, so how in the world did Muchiko find anything through the air? I shook it off and focused on the map. The road that we were on was the N 198 leading to N 193 and to our destination of Bastia. I thought about what Muchiko found in the port area before we did. It started to freak me out. Julie and Anastasia weren't scared at all. Natasha was the one that was shaking behind the wheel. And here I thought she was the toughest person in this group. I tried my best to shake her a bit in hopes that it will help her relax. I understood that she was driving through a rocky road, but this was as tense as I ever seen her be.  
"Hey Natasha, calm down," I said. "Stop getting so nervous."  
"Well, its tough driving down these roads on the count of what may happen down the road from here."  
"I know why you're doing that but don't worry. Muchiko got it covered. So you shouldn't worry."  
"That's not the point. This whole madness, it's just crazy."  
"Well, the scene sounds really perfect for a very suicidal adventure. Really really juicy," said Julie.  
She was nuts, but what can you say for someone who's been in the military for as long as she has. Anastasia now looked as though she was going to have a heart attack.  
"Now what's wrong?" I said.  
Before Anastasia could answer, there was a huge stomp in the roof of the van.  
"STOP THE VAN NOW!" Muchiko screamed.  
The van screeched to a halt. An airport was up ahead, which was a good thing. There was a huge amount of people trying to take over an airplane, which was a bad thing.  
"It's Harumi. I just know it," said Muchiko.  
"How can you be sure?" I asked.  
"My Iodine is about to burst."  
Our windows were bolted shut and Muchiko decided to stay outside, while an unknown substance was filling the air.  
"Dammitt Natasha, let me out!" I screamed.  
"You crazy? You ain't breathing this air," said Anastasia.  
Then a call came from my cellphone.  
"Hello?" I responded.  
"DRIVE DRIVE!" screamed Muchiko.  
My ears started to hurt after that one. Natasha stepped on the gas. I knew something was wrong when Muchiko said that her Iodine was starting to burst. The last time I payed attention in my chemistry class, it takes either 8 days, or 60 days depending on the type of radiation; that iodine can cause irritation to the body. I knew for a fact that just by looking at Muchiko, she was the type of person who didn't care of what she put inside her body. Something like Iodine however, sounded worse than cigarette smoke. The only person I knew who was an expert on natural gases was Rebecca. Unfortunately, we couldn't get any help from her.  
I knew I had to get out and get to Muchiko before the unruly angry mob had a shot at us. Even though we were in a moving vehicle, I really didn't trust any foreign obstacle that would have a chance to stop the van. It was a creepy thought if they did stop us, and I was hoping that they didn't see us. I was wrong because of one thing: a white gothic ornament that was on top of the van. Wonderful.  
As Natasha drove through the hill that was next to the airport, the mob noticed our van as if it was an escape vehicle and ran towards us. I elbowed the car door window which shattered within one try. Everyone held their breath except me. Yup, I was the idiot one.  
"Muchiko! Get down here now!" I yelled.  
I heard nothing that responded to me. Julie tried to get a hold of me in case I did anything stupid. That train sailed far, far away.  
I did my best to climb on top of the van, but immediately, I felt as though I was going to feint and fall over the the van. Someone grabbed a hold of me and rushed me back inside, but once again, I had a high fever. I heard Anastasia yelling getting more slient as my eyes were shut. I felt like I was going to join Rebecca soon. The dizziness overwhelmed me.

I felt someone smack me on the face. It was Muchiko.  
"Uhhh….how long was I out for?" I said.  
"A good ten minutes," said Julie.  
"Man, why didn't anyone wake me up?"  
"You looked cute sleeping, so we bothered not to wake you," said Natasha.  
My eyes opened to see a bunch of townspeople setting up a small wall. My guess was that we were already in the town of Bastia. Anastasia came and helped was still carrying me as we followed Muchiko to the top floor of a two-story small house just right near a port. I still felt extremenly weak, and all I wanted to do was muster the strength to get back at Muchiko for pulling a really crazy stunt like that. Half of me of course wanted to go back to sleep. Julie came out of the room and came back with a wet towel.  
"No no you're supposed to steam it," said Natasha.  
"Huh? It's a fever she's got, not some sort of sauna routine. We all know who to blam for that one."  
Both of them looked at Muchiko. With my remaining energy, I tried my best to get out of bed before Muchiko killed someone.  
"Guys stop it! Can I please rest? It's only my second fever. I'm sure I'll get over it," I said. I was too upset at myself and calming my friends down was something I really didn't have any strength for. As the softness of the pillow touched my head, all the sounds in the room started to fade away. Then in a sudden jolt, Anastasia came into the room with a plastic bag.  
"I got something for your little fever," she said.  
"Like what?" I said, still in my dizzy spell.  
She took out some herbs and some milk. I looked really confused. Then, she began to scare me by taking out hot mustard, white vinegar, and lemon juice. No one needed to tell me that those were mostly acidic items. Then Anastasia started talking to Natasha in Russian. Muchiko studied the bottles very carefully.  
"What is she trying to make, vomit juice?" said Julie.  
"Sure looks like it," I responded.  
"She doesn't need white vinegar," said Muchiko. "Just regular vinegar."  
Wonderful. Now she's criticizing someone's work in medicine.  
"Hey cut it out. At least she's trying. What have you tried to do to make me feel better," I said to to Muchiko.  
"O.k, but I warned you."  
Anastasia came back and began to mix the herbs with hot mustard, white vinegar, and lemon juice. She stirred it in a cup. When she turned around and called Natasha, Muchiko added two drops of red liquid to it. I was pretty sure I was seeing things, but the cup began to smoke. Anastasia turned back around as Natasha entered the room. She gave a stern look at Muchiko.  
"She didn't do anything o.k?" said Julie. "It's probably how it's supposed to be."  
Anastasia shrugged it off. She poured the milk and gave it to me. It was a bubbly yellow liquid. It scared me that these girls don't even believe of using regular medicine. Muchiko was on top of that list. I held my nose, as my darling sister Jessie taught me when drinking strange medicine. I finished it in two gulps. As I handed the cup over to Anastasia, four pairs of eyes began to stare at me, as if waiting for me to transform. The liquid did one thing for me: I wasn't tired at all. It was like having a shot of caffine poured into my body. The liquid also did one bad thing for me: I ran to the bathroom and began to vomit.  
"See? Told ya. Vomit juice," said Julie behind me.  
Natasha wiped my face with a towel, before carrying me to bed.  
"I'm not sleepy," I said. "And I feel worse."  
"Anyone got anything else that would work?" said Julie.  
Muchiko took a tissue, poured a liquid over it, and covered my nose with it. The very familiar and yet obvious chloroform. It can knock anyone out, even elephants, if used correctly. I tried to break free.  
"Either calm down and fall asleep, or I will make sure the medicine will really hurt," she said.  
I immediately stopped, and was knocked out.

"Hey, you up?" said Natasha.  
I woke up to see me in the room with Natasha and Anastasia walking in the room with a tote bag.  
"What's that?" I asked.  
"Just something the townspeople gave us for free when we explained our problem."  
"You mean when Muchiko explained everything. You just got here."  
"I know that silly. Everyone's waiting for you downstairs."  
"Huh? No one came to check up on me?"  
Anastasia shook her head and left the room.  
"Nope. Only me," said Natasha.  
Thus proving that she was taking the job of an older sister replacement to heart.  
I gave a small smile, and I also noticed that I felt better. My fever was gone and I wasn't tired at all. I ran to the bathroom to check and see what kind of crazy objects or scars I would have on my body, thanks to Muchiko of course. I saw nothing. My body was entirely clean. Natasha walked in.  
"You o.k?" she said.  
I covered myself as soon as I heard Natasha'a voice behind me.  
"Hey don't you knock?" I said.  
"Well gee I'm sorry. I was worried that something was wrong since you just ran to the bathroom pretty quickly."  
"Yeah well….uhhh….as you can see I'm fine."  
Natasha walked slowly out of the bathroom. "I'll wait for you downstairs."  
I closed the door and sat on the floor. This was starting to become a huge weight on my shoulders. I felt like I wanted to give up and go home. Let them deal with it. Now that I was fully out of bed, and feeling better, I knew that I was needed in this adventure; even though my job in this "role-playing game world" is being a navigator. I began to sob a bit when I felt something touch my shoulder. I whirled around and saw nothing. I ran to the door and noticed that it was locked.  
"Natasha! Open up!" I screamed.  
I heard nothing from the other side. What a cruel joke. Really stupid of me to actually fall for it. The bathroom curtains began to move a bit on their own without any breeze. I was starting to become really scared. A feint whispered was heard.  
_"Kathy? Kathy?" _it said._  
_I didn't want to try and speak since there was nothing or no one in the bathroom with me. I thought this was another joke that Natasha was doing. But strangely, there was no opening in the bathroom or air vent. So I had no choice but to answer back. It was very odd, but what else could I do.  
"Yes?" I responded.  
A pause. I waited, still sitting on the floor, until it spoke again.  
_"Don't be afraid. We've gone through…even worse things together, so we can always pull through. Just close your eyes and count to twelve."  
_O.k, now I was getting scared. I began to cry and stood up. There was no way...  
I held the handle on the door, but I calmed down at first, closed my eyes and began to count to twelve. By doing this, I hoped that the door would open. As I got to twelve, the door unlocked. I pulled open the door and was pretty astonished at what I saw.  
Rebecca was sitting on the bed, not with her Ino cosplay, but rather with a schoolgirl uniform. I have never seen her wear something like this, or to a much certain extent, never in her closet. I stood there, thinking to myself whether this was a trap set up by Harumi or that this was really happening and I was going crazy.  
"Uhhh, hi there," I said.  
_"Gee no hug? How very thoughtful of you," _she said.  
She got up and walked towards me. I began clutching the wall behind me, until Rebecca held my hand. That was the crazy thing. She still had that whisper of a voice, but she felt real.  
"No no no. You're just an illusion. You can't be real," I said.  
_"Really? That made me sad Kathy. I'm real to you."_  
"Huh? How is that possible? How are you….actually here in this room with me? Aren't you….well, you know."  
_"Oh that thing. Of course I am. I'm just that part in your head that still wants me to be alive."  
_Every second that she spoke made me wish that I was dreaming. I began to think back on the tragic day when Rebecca was struck with "salt-changing" liquid. Rebecca stopped me.  
_"No no. Please let it go. It happened, so let it flourish. Don't try and change it. Just let it be. Thinking about it would make the situation worse in your soul."  
_"But I missed you. I need you here. I don't think I could continue on without you. There are things in this madness of an adventure that only you could solve," I said.  
_"No no. You can do it. Just relax and take a deep breath. And ask yourself this question:_ _What would I say to you if I see you in a problem?"  
_That was a pretty tough question. We were the friends that would help out each other in any situation. Of course besides randomness with school, we could probably go through anything.  
"I really don't know what you would say," I said. "But it is not easy."  
_"Katherine, I've never seen you so hopeless," _she said. _"What's wrong with you? You have to move on."  
_"I can't Rebecca. Not without you."  
_"No. It has to be without me. You have to let me go off your head."  
_I felt really worried. I know that Natasha was someone I could rely on, but every time I would look at my crew and not see Rebecca with us, I would always look depressed. No one would notice it because I would hide it really well, but it was still heart-breaking. Rebecca stood right in front of me. I looked down and started to forget if either this was a dream or not.  
_"Listen to me Katherine. You know what question I would say to you?" _she said._  
_I couldn't even bare to see her face. It would bring too much pain back. I saw a tear drop to the floor.  
_"Please look at me," _she said._  
_I carefully picked my head up and was locked in her eyes. She was in tears. I was about to put my arm to give her a hug, but she pushed my arm away.  
"What is it?" I said.  
_"DON'T TOUCH ME! JUST LOOK AT ME!"  
_I just stared at her, vividly in confusion. For a dead person, she was really angry. I was getting frightened.  
_"My question is: Why are you in fear of being a leader when you survived numerous amounts of Death in this adventure?"  
_She was right. I didn't want to argue with someone such as Rebecca. Here I am going crazy and depressed because many people are dying around me, and I'm still alive. She was also right in saying that I stopped my life too much to mourn. I had to let her go and move on.  
"I'm glad that you're here," I said.  
Rebecca smiled. I wanted to tell her a lot of other things that I've experienced during this time, but before I could open my mouth, she shook her head.  
_"Relax Kathy. No excuses, just a simple goodbye, understand? You'll be fine without me," _she said.  
"Thank you. I know I'll be fine."  
With that, she disappeared. The tears that I thought were falling down from my face were sucked backed into my eyes. I felt a little rejuvenated, but I was happy that I could see Rebecca. I closed my eyes, counted to twelve, and opened them again. Rebecca was gone. A knock on the door startled me. I opened it to see Natasha on the other side.  
"Were you taking a shower or something? C'mon," she said.  
"Yeah yeah I'll be right down," I replied.  
"Well, hurry up. Muchiko is actually thinking of leaving you here."  
Damn, how harsh. In a good way, it made me miss her very much. No matter how mean her comments are to anyone.  
As I went downstairs to meet the rest of the crew, I decided to keep the odd meeting between me and Rebecca to myself. I knew that if I mentioned that to any of them -especially Muchiko- they would see me as someone more than insane. Besides, no one would believe me.  
Julie gave me a hug. It was odd, but I accepted it like anyone else.  
"I knew you were o.k. Muchiko thought you actually fell in the shower."  
"And what made her say that?" I said, turning to Muchiko.  
"Sorry. As you know, I am a very impatient person. Also we must hurry on to the mainland of France," she replied.  
"Are you feeling o.k?" said Anastasia. "I'm so sorry that I gave you that weird mixture of items to drink. I thought that it would help."  
"It's fine. I'm feeling o.k and thank you for apologizing."  
I turned to look at all of them. Anastasia was licking on a lollipop. Natasha was fixing her hair. Julie was looking at her cellphone. Muchiko was drinking a bottle of water. My rugged, but weird and friendly crew; each with their own abilities and comedic purposes of staying alive. Man, what a very crazy group of friends I stumbled upon.  
"O.k. Which one of you knows the time of the next boat headed to France?" I said.  
They looked amongst themselves. It wasn't a hard question to answer, if there even was an answer. Anastasia spoke up.  
"In about 30 minutes. It's the last one until the next day."  
"You mean it's the last boat, in the middle of the afternoon? Are you kidding me?"  
"No I'm not."  
"So we must hurry," said Muchiko. "I never liked standing around."  
The five of us hurried on to a port, where there was another huge crowd. I suddenly stopped and so did my crew.  
"What's the matter?" said Natasha.  
"Quick, everyone hide behind this building," I said.  
I was the one closer to the side of the building. With a small peek, I realized who was organizing the crowd.  
"That's Bianca. She attacked me during my stay in the hospital in Germany."  
"Really? Let's mess her up," said Natasha.  
"No no. Let's see how this plays out."  
Julie stepped out from behind the wall and took out her pistol.  
"Which one is she?"  
"The one with the braided ponytails," I said.  
"Roger."  
She took aim and was about to fire, but Muchiko held her down.  
"Are you crazy?" said Muchiko. "Just hang on a sec alright? We don't want to start a commotion."  
It was really surprising to see Muchiko actually stop a crime. Anastasia grabbed Julie and brung her back behind the building.  
"Just wait a few o.k? We have to get past them and get a boat. France is north in this direction," I said, pointing ahead to where the crowd were. Trying my best to be a leader to this group of individuals was really going to be a daunting task. Especially if one of your members was going to try and attempt to be a distraction to the formentioned crowd in hopes of letting us escape. Natasha ran from behind the building and started yelling.  
"Hey bastards! Come and get me!" she yelled.  
The entire crowd ran towards her, along with Bianca.  
"I guess that's our cue to escape," said Muchiko.  
"You girls go ahead. I'll wait for Natasha," I said.  
"Are you crazy? She'll be fine."  
"I'm not going to leave her behind."  
"But she'll be fine."  
"You girls head to the boat. Natasha and I will join you later."  
So they ran to the boat, while I ran to the opposite direction. I knew that the crowd had a head start on Natasha before I did. I wasn't worried however, since I knew Natasha could take care of herself. I just honestly hoped that I wasn't too late.  
The crowd was surrounding a market. I couldn't see Bianca anywhere around the area, but of course thanks to the large crowd, I couldn't see anyone; not even Natasha. I tried to not let my fear overwhelm me as I was looking for her. Even worse, I didn't have a gameplan in order to try and rescue Natasha. Damn, I'm such an idiot.  
Obviously I couldn't call out for Natasha, but I had to try and get her out of there. My guess was that the crowd was manipulated because of Bianca. I don't know exactly what she said to them, but I had to try and attempt to get them back. Quietly, I got on the top of a small building across from the market. I was about to speak, when I saw Natasha on the roof of the market. She placed a 2x4 wooden plank on the door. For her well guided safety, it was a quick thinking decision.  
I jumped up and down to try and signal that I was across from her without making a racket. She didn't notice me. There was nothing I could've used. She was looking around the roof, when she found an empty metal bucket. The door that she barricaded was starting to come loose.  
"Natasha! Over here!" I screamed.  
She looked across and saw me. Half of the crowd did the same thing. Bianca emerged from the crowd.  
"ATTACK!" she yelled.  
I saw the crowd enter the building and some of them began to climb the building to get to me. There was nowhere to go.  
"Side of the building. Down the pole. Hurry," said Natasha.  
Did she really have to say that out loud?  
I took her advice and slid down the pole. Natasha jumped to a nearby window stand below her and almost landed awkwardly. One person noticed me coming down the pole. Natasha slid down from a ladder, grabbed my hand and we were off running. Bianca appeared from outside the building that I was on and chased us down with her huge crowd. I didn't forget that Natasha suffers from asthma. That is a major problem when dealing with angry people from this magnitude.  
After about three long blocks, Natasha was starting to get tired. That was not good. Oh boy.  
"C'mon Natasha, pick up the pace. We're almost there," I said.  
"I can't go on."  
"On your feet, now!"  
I hoisted her up. She began to take stride and started to run again. The crowd was getting closer to us. I began to smell the water up ahead. The edge of the pier was inches away.  
We turned around to see Bianca right behind us.  
"Any last words?" she said.  
"Natty, I think we better think of a plan," I whispered to her.  
She was still catching her breath. This was not good. Bianca was nearing closer. Natasha gathered up a huge amount of strength and tried to attack her. She swung and missed. Bianca knocked her out with a chop of her hand to the back of the neck. Damn…she was tough.  
"Well, there goes your friend. Very pathetic if you ask me," said Bianca.  
I was cornered and really hoping that at least someone had the presence in mind to save. There was no way I was falling in the water; we never started a good friendship in the first place. If I was already cooked, I may as well try and fight my way through this mess; of course in an intelligent manner. I slowly walked up to her.  
"Hey, I don't know why Harumi dragged you into this mess, but if you tell me what she's planning, I'll let you go really easily. I'll even forgive you for that bar incident."  
Bianca simply laughed. Luckily for me and unlucky for her, I had sharp nails. I smacked her in the face so hard; there were three scars already on her cheek. Guess I didn't do enough of a good job.  
"You must be a complete idiot for me to give up Harumi's dream. Well as you can see, you're outnumbered. You think someone of small stature would try and defeat me?" said Bianca. "Your're going to pay for what you've done to my face."  
I was totally screwed. Natasha was still out, but was actually still breathing. Bianca approached me closer, but didn't see what I saw as Natasha tripped her. The angry mob grabbed Natasha.  
As Bianca turned to Natasha, I stood there like a goofball not knowing what to do next. Natasha told me what I should've done.  
"Run girl. Run!" she screamed.  
So I ran to the dock. Bianca fell for our little diversion. That was a good thing. Since they were all chasing me, hopefully that would give Natasha some sort of an escape plan. The motorboat that the rest of the crew got on was still there.  
"Hey, it took you a while," said Julie.  
"Where's Natasha?" said Anastasia.  
"Never mind that, just go. NOW!" I yelled.  
As Muchiko saw the crowd, she threw what looked to me like a smoke bomb. I jumped on, lunging myself at Anastasia. Julie turned on the motorboat and we were off.  
"Hey, what area of the pier is Natasha stuck on?" she said to me.  
"Over there. By the south side," I pointed out.  
Instantly, Muchiko turned the wheel of the boat, as we headed north. I wanted to knock her lights out for that one, but what could you do if that same girl had a belt full of poison items the likes of which you have never seen.  
"What the heck was that for?" I yelled.  
"We're heading to France. NOW!"  
"What about-"  
She growled at me. I guess wandering around for too long has gotten her very impatient. I looked back at the island of Corsica. Anastasia began to cry. Julie looked really upset.  
"Hey, we don't leave people behind alright?" she blurted.  
"Yeah. Especially someone who can help us with the problem at hand," I said.  
Muchiko kept going, ignoring us both. The mainland of France looked to be ten miles away. I really hoped Natasha was going to be alright. I didn't want her to end up like Jessie. I punched Muchiko in the back really hard.  
"WHY DAMMITT!" I yelled.  
"I am not wasting any more time. We must stop our sister at all costs. That is more important."  
"No, FRIENDSHIP is more important."  
Muchiko kept slient as we pressed on. No one said a word as we were closing in on the dock from the town of Cannes. I just wonder, besides thinking of Natasha, what Harumi has in store for us this time.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

"You really don't know how pissed I am that you left Natasha like that. Are you out of your mind? Oh wait, I'm asking the wrong person that question," I said angrily to Muchiko.  
As we docked off to the town of Cannes, Julie motioned that she wanted to at least strangle Muchiko for good. They got off, but I stayed on the boat, trying my best to turn on the boat, but that was hard to do when the person you're angry at has the keys. The three of them stood and watched me as I tried alone to turn the boat around. Muchiko began to approach me.  
"Hey stay back! I'm telling you, you better stay back!" I said.  
Muchiko stopped halfway and stared at me. She had on a look that said, "Get off the boat." I shook my head. I wasn't leaving until we go back to get Natasha. Muchiko jumped into the Mediterranean.  
"Great. You've done it now," said Julie.  
"Oh c'mon. It's not as if she's going to rig this boat with an explosive."  
Anastasia gave a small glance into the sea.  
"Well, it could be worse."  
"I mean, don't you two want to go back and get Natasha?"  
Muchiko came back up and climbed back to dry land. She held something in her hand which only meant one thing:a detonator for C4. I guess she is that crazy.  
"I'm going to give you to the count of three to get off the boat," said Muchiko. No change in the tone of her voice or anything of that matter, just a simple message. I stood my ground, not moving a muscle.  
"Where did you place the C4?" I demanded.  
"That is not your concern."  
"I'm not going anywhere until we get on the boat and get Natasha back."  
"I don't think you have a choice."  
Muchiko walked away from the boat. It was an old trick I remember Jessie used on me whenever she would want me to go somewhere that I refused to. The thing that worried me about this is that Muchiko walked as far as possible to the mainland. Julie and Anastasia followed her; both of them looking really confused. Muchiko turned around.  
"I'm warning you to get off the boat right now; one," she said.  
"I told you that I'm not going anywhere," I said. "I don't know what you're planning, but it won't work on me."  
"Oh I beg to differ. Have you already forgotten how afraid you are of water? I'm warning you again. I don't want to have to use force or else you'll see the water face to face; two."  
I gave a large swallow. Julie and Anastasia thought that Muchiko was bluffing, so they let her go along with it. Seeing how far away they were from me -like a mile and a half-, I was starting to get really frightened. She really wasn't going to blow up the boat with me inside, is she?  
I had to think of something, or else I was going to meet more than the water. I made a quick glance around the mainland. There was only a few people, but they didn't seem to notice at all; they just walked by. I was more frightened because her hand was on the button. I made one last ditch effort to get inside that tough head of hers.  
"Please, don't hurt me. I'm always cool with you and your ideas, no matter how far-fetched they are to any situation," I said.  
"Well, I hope you'll like this idea. If Harumi wants to play dirty, then she'll just see how dirty I can be," said Muchiko in response.  
"Will Natasha be o.k?"  
"I'm sure she will be. I don't know about you however."  
"What?"  
"And that's three."  
Julie elbowed Muchiko to free the device, but it was too late; the button was pressed. There was a loud rumble beneath me. I'm not very fond of earthquakes and this just so happens to be my first one.  
"Katherine, hang on," said Anastasia.  
The C4, which was place below the surface underwater, took a huge chunk of the land with it, which in turn began to create a huge tidal wave. The boat began to shake violently. Anastasia began to run, but Muchiko tackled her to the ground.  
"You're not drowning in front of me," she said.  
"What about Kathy?"  
"She'll be fine."  
Julie started to run, but stopped. The wave began to grow in size. People began to come and see what the whole rumble was all about. I stayed crouched down on the boat as I felt the water carry me up almost ten feet into the air. Anyone of my friends would've enjoyed that leap into the air like it was some sort of water ride, but not me. If only they knew who was in charge of the ride, they wouldn't even bother showing up at all. The boat crashed down back to the sea with such force that it broke the boat in half. My head banged on the deck, that I felt myself slipping into the sea. A hand grabbed my collar before I sunk myself in. I saw the smile on Julie's face.  
"Hey kiddo, you o.k?" she said.  
Slowly, I got up from the ground, where I saw Muchiko coming towards me with a bandage. Anastasia was trying to calm the crowd before authorities arrived. I grabbed Muchiko by her collar.  
"What did you do?!" I said.  
"Did what I had to do to ensure Natasha's safety."  
"BY SENDING A HUGE TSUNAMI TO THE ISLAND OF CORSICA! ARE YOU FREAKING CRAZY?"  
"Well, what did you expect? Did you want her to die?"  
"I think you just actually sent her to her watery grave."  
"No I did not."  
"Geez are you even listening to me?"  
"Harumi won't kill her. All she wants is me."  
"O.k. Have you been paying attention to what we've been going through all of this time?"  
"I really don't think you're the one who's been paying attention."  
"So what's going to happen to the island? Was the tsunami powerful enough?" said Julie. I had a feeling she was trying to support her because she didn't have any say in the matter.  
Muchiko looked far into the sea. "Both islands of Corsica and Sardinia are going to be devoured. I guess the countries of Libya and Egypt are going to get a huge surprise."  
"So let me get this straight," I said while I started to attend to a crying Anastasia. "Instead of putting someone away with a knife or at least tending the person to the authorities, you decide that it is in your powerto start a huge tsunami and literally swallow up your enemy?"  
"Pretty much. That's the way I do things remember?"  
Natasha's religious and I really hoped that someone up there was keeping a close eye on her. I hugged Anastasia really closely.  
"Hey, I'm really sorry," I said.  
"I'm sure she's still alive."  
"Well yeah. But I'm sorry for the way I treated you before."  
"It's fine. Really, thank you."  
The sounds of sirens meant that we had to leave. Julie was trying to talk some sense into Muchiko, but that was a waste of time. Muchiko had a look on her face as though she was a grenade ready to go off.  
"Time to go," she said.  
The night desended upon us as we arrived into a hotel, which was called: _Hotel de l'Olivier._ Thankfully, Julie was half French and got us a room with her own money. We weren't followed, which was a good sign that things were o.k for us in our situation. There were two rooms available. The three of us looked at Muchiko.  
"You don't mind sleeping alone do you?" said Julie.  
She took a deep breath and said something that scared me:  
"No one bothers me in my room; least you lose your lives. I am in no mood to speak to anyone."  
With that, she swiped the key from Julie's hand and slammed the door. I guess that meant there was some "human" decency inside her.  
We went inside our room. Anastasia went straight to bed. I was still stunned. Julie came to comfort me.  
"Hey kiddo, relax. I'm sure she'll be fine."  
"Who? Which one?"  
Not even I could answer that one. Natasha was lost somewhere, Anastasia was buried on tears for her friend, and Muchiko….who knew where to begin with that one.  
"What the heck can we do?" said Julie. "I'm as stuck as solving this problem as you are."  
"No no. Natasha told her to do this."  
"Huh?"  
"Well not literally of course. But she basically told her that she had to take things into her own hands."  
"Great. That was a mistake on Natasha's part. I don't think anyone could tell someone like Muchiko some sense."  
"Hey she still is a friend. And of course, targeted by her sister."  
"So what are we to her: personal bodyguards?"  
"No. We're still her friends, no matter how cold she is."  
"Of course she's cold. She always wears a skirt."  
I went to the bathroom and came out to see Julie fast asleep. There was space for me to fit next to her. Anastasia was also asleep. I really don't know how she would be able to sleep with all of the commotion that happened in the past hour. I figured I rather go straight to the source. As I stepped out onto the hallway, I knocked on her door. I didn't care what Muchiko was going to say. She was the one who dragged me into all of this mess, so she better let me inside. The door was locked. I went back to my room, took out a small paper clip which I found in the bathroom and I was all set to try and open her door. It was my first time ready to try out the lockpicking technique, when the door was wide open. I ran inside to find the room empty. The window was opened, but there was a four foot drop. I checked the rest of the room just in case she was working on some sort of weird experiment, then I decided to leave Julie and Anastasia in the room by themselves while I went out to go look for her. They just had a rough day and I really didn't want to be the one to make them cranky.  
I grabbed a tourist map and stepped out of the front door of the hotel. I found the hotel on the map. All I needed to do was find Muchiko before the cops did. Just when I was about to take a step on the stairs, a man pointed me out. Before I knew it, I was on the run again. Goodness gracious, when will all of this end?  
I ran to a fountain area up ahead, which in a disturbing sense was really crowded. I was not in any mood to see more crowds flood the streets. Hoping that it was in the sense street performers, I went in to at least blend in with the crowd and to make a good hiding spot. The streets were really empty; probably because it was still dark. There were more police patrolling the streets, since part of the land got flushed down into the sea, I really didn't want to be seen. There were already so many people that got a good look at my face when it happened, that it became harder and harder to try and find a place to hide. It was good enough that no one took a picture of it. I always thought my photo in front of a store would really look ugly.  
I squeezed in through the crowd and saw something more worse that I could've imagined.  
It was good that I found Muchiko, but her investigating two dead bodies that I didn't even recognize was something odd and scary. I moved in very quietly.  
"Hey what's going on?" I said.  
Muchiko didn't even look up when she said to me, "You stink."  
"Well you're the one who pushed me into the sea….oh never mind. So what's going on?"  
"I wanted to walk out for some air and all of a sudden, I heard a scream."  
"Ummm, you do realize that they're looking for you after what happened, and you're not the type that is a fan of changing clothes."  
"We'll be fine."  
"Yeah I know that we're fine, but I don't know about Natasha."  
"Are you still with that?"  
"It was stupid and ridiculous."  
"Hey, were you seen when you left the hotel?"  
"No, I wasn't even- hey don't change the subject."  
"Huh? Two people are dead and you sound like your being really selfish."  
"WHAT IF NATASHA'S DEAD?"  
I said that last comment so loudly that people started to look at me. The police arrived a few minutes later and shoved Muchiko out of the way. It was really odd that they weren't there in the first place to begin with. The bodies weren't removed; people tried but it was if they were glued to the floor.  
"But I wasn't done," she said.  
Now she was the one who was starting to become whiny. A teen boy appeared behind Muchiko as she was starting to walk away. He did seem kind of cute.  
"Excuse me, but are you the one involved in that tsunami earlier off the coast?"  
"No. Not me. Find a girl by the name of Harumi Kisaragi. She shouldn't be too hard to find."  
Boy that was a real easy shutdown. That was also kind of mean, but stillcool. As we walked away from the area, there was my opening regarding the two people that were killed.  
"So who were they?" I asked.  
"How should I know?" replied Muchiko. "I know no one from this area."  
"You seemed rather interested in finding out what happened to them."  
She sat down on a set of stairs away from the plaza. "They were cut up in a very awkward fashion. First, it seemed as though their necks were snapped. Then their arms were broken, sliced and folded in such a way as though they were both sleeping."  
"And all of that you noticed just by looking at the bodies?"  
"Yup, just like that. Looks like a couple to me. A normal couple."  
"Probably just a normal killer."  
"Please….don't tell me that nonsense."  
I was still bothered by, of course, by the news of Natasha. My mind was still on her so much that I couldn't focus on anything. I wanted her back. I was still confused whether I should forgive Muchiko or not. I took a deep breath and began to speak.  
"How do you know Natasha will be o.k?" I said.  
Muchiko stared straight ahead as she spoke, still eyeing on the crowd and the French police investigation. "You probably think Harumi is a sick individual and of course, your right. As I mentioned before, she's probably planning on using Natasha as a hostage against me. Now before you comment, keep in mind I said the word 'me' not 'us'. I honestly consider you a very good ally in this battle, but when the time comes, please let me do it. And I promise you, we will see Natasha very soon. After all, she is a really good and trained world class swimmer."  
Boy…like what?  
"Wait, wait a second," I said in a surprised tone. "What do you mean we'll see Natasha soon? What, like she's going to pop up and say hi?"  
I looked around to see if she did pop up, but she didn't. The police and the crowd were still with the bodies. The boy who approached Muchiko earlier looked as though he was still following us. I pretended like I didn't see him, but he was there, clear as night, pretending to talk to someone when instead half of his body was still leaning towards us. If he had a crush on Muchiko, then I wish him the best on trying to survive death row because Muchiko was the complete wrong person to ask. I didn't mind him asking me out. I never had a thing for French boys, but of course that could change instantly.  
Muchiko traced my stare on an invisible line and saw who I was looking at.  
"He's worthless. I'm warning you right now. Do not bother even speaking to him," she said.  
"That's probably your lesbianism working on you as always. He seems nice."  
"Seems? Is that how you girls get a guy these days? 'Oh he seems nice'. C'mon, that's complete BS."  
"Well can't I at least give him a chance?"  
"No. And besides, it's three in the morning. We need to get you some sleep."  
"I'm glad you're taking this whole Natasha disappearance very calmly. Of course I know I still won't be able to sleep."  
That made me think of Anastasia and how bad she was suffering. Whatever happened to her, Muchiko was going to pay for it by the cost of one-fourth of her conscious. We made it back to the hotel, which seemed as though it wasn't far like before. I stopped in my tracks when I saw the police surround the hotel.  
"I thought you said that no one saw you get out of the hotel," said Muchiko.  
"It's true I swear!"  
"Then explain this scene to me."  
I was really confused. This was supposed to be a small town. It feels like they were expecting a bomb to go off at any moment around here. There were even more police cars showing up. We knew that we couldn't stand around in the open area, but since there were no stores open in this time -not even a light fixture- we were done for. Muchiko was about to speak, but I took her by the hand and pulled her behind a truck. It wasn't easy to sneak into the hotel like me and Rebecca snuck into Chris's apartment before since these cops looked really tough and aren't messing about. If we have to, we would've spent all night behind the truck. As I was peering over my shoulder to see if the coast was clear, I heard the snapof a whip behind me with Muchiko's voice saying: "Got you, you damn mouse."  
It was the boy from earlier that was following us. Muchiko quickly covered his mouth.  
"You scream, you die, understand?" said Muchiko.  
The boy slowly nodded.  
"You understand English correct?" I asked  
He nodded again.  
"Then why are you following us? You have a crush on us or something?"  
He tried to speak, but Muchiko kept his mouth covered.  
"Uhh, I do believe that you're supposed to let him speak this turn," I said.  
"No, I'm not going to believe this piece of trash," she responded.  
"Let him speak alright."  
"I will not."  
I didn't know where this logic was going to end up, but nothing was working. I could see in the boy's brown eyes that he was frightened that two strangers took him hostage. Then Muchiko started to smell him.  
"Hold him a second," she asked.  
"Wait, what for?" I said.  
"Just do it alright?"  
I was starting to become really scared. I held his right arm back and covered his mouth. Muchiko looked around and I did the same. No one saw us. Then she took out an oily substance from one of her pockets and poured it on his shoulders. Nothing happened for a while. Muchiko looked at him very worriedly. I caught a glimpse of her face; it was not good.  
"Maybe it's just perfume," I said.  
"There is no way that he should be out at this time. I didn't see any clubs in this time," said Muchiko.  
I finally let go of his mouth and he said something that should've been said earlier:  
"I saw someone who looked like you asking about the 'Cannes Film Festival'. All I told her was that we were in preparation for it."  
"Then what happened?" I said.  
"She just said thanks and added: 'Be on the lookout for a sacrifice that will be made. The whole town will be astonished for-"  
"Three and a half days," I interrupted.  
Muchiko and the boy looked at me. If Natasha was here, she would've hugged me and said something witty like "Congratulations, you got that one right." That specific verse was one I memorized. That one got me really nervous.  
"What's your name?" I asked the boy.  
"Lisle DePaul. I'm really sorry that I followed you."  
Muchiko looked away. "It's perfectly fine. Did you see where she went the last time you saw her?"  
"No I didn't. She went someone where north. I'm not familiar with something away from the area. Wait a minute, do you know this person?"  
"Unfortunately yes. It's my sister."  
I thought it was pretty awesome the way she referred to her sister as an "it" and not as a person.  
"So how can we get back into the hotel?" I asked.  
"Hotel? You girls should've rented a hostel. They're really cheaper," said Lisle.  
Muchiko looked really unhappy. "Sorry but I'm never comfortable in a hostel. Just get us inside without asking any questions, alright?"  
Lisle looked as though hewas defeated again. He did give it a shot of course and that earned him some respect to me, but was still shot down. I should've told him to not have tried anything. Lisle had shiny black hair, as though he put some spray in a salon an hour ago. He had on a red t-shirt and black pants with some chains on it. Yeah, he was that type of teenager that wasn't supposed to leave his house without parent supervision.  
"O.k. Follow me," he said.  
We approached the doorway and walked in without anyone asking us questions. They probably assumed that we were just lost and found our way back. That's good. I didn't want anyone poking me with cameras and asking weird stuff. Speaking of which, if it was me that they were after, then why didn't no one try and stop me? The answers were on both sides of me: one had a white dress and one was really emo. No one would even go near me. I wouldn't even go near myself.  
We went upstairs. Muchiko went inside my room as she handed me her key. She stopped in front of the door and motioned to give her my key.  
"I will not," I said.  
She snapped her finger. Lisle grabbed me and began trying to search my pockets. I got myself off of him when Muchiko grabbed me as well and found it in my back pocket.  
"You two have a good sleep now," she said and left.  
I sighed while opening the door. There was a bag there but I dare not even touch it. Lisle began to search through it.  
"Hey don't touch that," I said.  
"Well why not?"  
"Well because it isn't your bag to be messing around with."  
"Well sorry."  
"Besides, I want to go to sleep."  
I lied down in bed. Lisle climbed with me.  
"Now don't try any funny business," I said.  
"What? No I'm not like that," he replied.  
"I'm checking up on you."  
I shut the lamp off and went to sleep I felt his arms come around me. I bit one of his hands and turned on the lamp.  
"What was that all about?" I said.  
"It was nothing. I thought you might as well feel comfortable."  
"No thank you."  
I took my blanket, shut off the lamp, and went to sleep inside a closet. I didn't care if he was a witness to finding out how Harumi looked like or where she was, he was not touching me at all. I fell asleep instantly as my head hit a towel I used for a pillow.  
A dream occurred in my head and of course it was about Natasha. She was staring away at sea on a rocky shore. It was really breezy and I didn't know why I was wearing a nightgown.  
"Hey Natasha," I said.  
I tapped her on the shoulder. She was crying.  
"What's wrong sis?" I said.  
Her face was red with tears. "You made me upset. I thought you were my sister."  
Technically, she was wrong, but lately it has been a sisterly bond, so she was right.  
"I know but it wasn't my fault," I said.  
She cried again. I petted her on the shoulder.  
"Muchiko said that we will see you again," I said.  
"Very well," she said sadly.  
"Are you o.k.?"  
"Just waiting for my ride to show up."  
I looked up and saw the clouds in the sky opening up. Not good….  
I woke up with a cold shudder down my spine. I was still in the closet, but there were sounds coming from inside the room. I didn't know how long I slept, but as I peered through the little hole, I could clearly see that it was morning. I couldn't make out the people who were on the other side, which was a shame because it would've been easy to find Lisle with his black pants. I was about to get up, but suddenly I felt rather a bit heavy and weak. Was the dream gave me that much of an impact? I started to feel a bit dizzy. I steadied myself and remained quiet until the footsteps were gone, but they weren't leaving. The towel that I used as a pillow caught my foot. I struggled to get it free, but I crashed down through the door. Luckily someone was leaving and Anastasia was there.  
"Nice for you to drop by," she said to me.  
Knocking my head on the closet door as I fell down didn't make the dizziness less painful in any way, shape or form.  
"Hi umm, where's Lisle?" I asked.  
"Who?"  
"A boy a bit taller than me, with dark black chain pants."  
"Oh that guy. Muchiko chased him away."  
"Huh? Why?"  
"She just didn't like him."  
I got up and was really shaky. That cold feeling appeared again through my spine. Muchiko came in the door. Once she saw me, she carried me to the bathroom and locked the door. She placed a towel on the bathroom floor as she told me to lay on it.  
"What's wrong?" I asked.  
There was a knock on the door. Muchiko opened it and it was Julie. She was eating a muffin.  
"You ready?" she said.  
"Ready for what?" I asked in fear.  
"I was asking Muchiko that question."  
"Umm, I'm the one laying down here so if you don't mind letting me in on the information."  
Julie took out an injection needle. As a girl in a dream, Muchiko took a deep breath:  
"You may have been raped."  
If the injection was supposedly going to knock me out, it wasn't necessary. I was already out like a lamp after hearing that message.  
"So how did it happen? And what did you put on me?" I said.  
"Nothing special just some quick birth control pills," said Muchiko. "Also, we removed the embryo that 'it' was placed on and flushed it down the toilet."  
I was in bed, like I've been for the remainder of the month. I really should consider taking extra blankets with me on our trips if this kept up.  
Anastasia put her hand on my head. I didn't know what almost getting pregnant had to do with getting a fever. She probably thought this was a regular thing.  
"Listen, I'm fine. I just want to kill the bastard," I said.  
"I don't think you would be doing any killing anytime soon. He's in jail at the moment. I prevented the ambulance from going anywhere near you at all," said Muchiko.  
I got up, smacked Anastasia's hand away from my forehead, and shot up out of bed. Julie was there, still looking disgusted.  
"What happened?" I asked her.  
"Well I still couldn't get over the fact that I was the one who removed your…you know…out of you."  
"Oh it's no problem."  
"Just felt really sticky. I never thought I would do something like that in my life."  
"Hey don't worry about it. By the way, Anastasia, who was that person who came here in this room earlier?"  
Anastasia looked confused at first, but then suddenly remembered: "It was just a hotel worker asking me questions. I was the last one who seen him as he ran away, so it was just the usual 'ask the witness' type questions."  
My body felt really queasy, but I didn't care. We had a job to do. As soon as I was about to step out of the door and walk next door to my room, I had a feeling that the rape was something more than just that. Every time I would walk, there was pain in my foot. I sat on the bed and removed my shoes. There was nothing on my shoes, so I tried to check inside my foot. Julie saw the look of discovery on my face and took a look at it as well.  
"You o.k.?" said Muchiko.  
"No. There's pain in my feet every time I walk. I just noticed it now."  
Muchiko flipped me down in the bed. She took one foot of mine and started to listen to it. Anastasia walked in and shut the door. She didn't even bother asking what was going on. It was smart of her to keep her mouth shut during a situation like this. Muchiko listened to the other ear and her face was suddenly white as a ghost.  
"Oh boy. Beeping…that's not good," said Muchiko.  
Funny, since Muchiko was a huge fan of exploding objects.  
"What? Beeping? What beeping?" I said. "What do you mean beeping?"  
Anastasia looked confused. Julie gave a huge gulp.  
"Please tell me you got some sort of an x-ray in that belt of yours."  
Muchiko searched through her belt. I was still on the fritz from all of this information. No one told me anything. I was about to get up again, but Muchiko shoved me down. She continued searching, until she found what looked like green dye drops.  
"Neon glow in the dark dye," said Muchiko. "Now all we need is to put this in a drink and we'll see inside you."  
"Wait, why?"  
Julie ran out of the door.  
"Can someone answer my question? I'm really irritated here."  
Julie came back with a glass of water.  
"You know, you could've just asked for room service," I said.  
"Too much work."  
She handed it to Muchiko, who put four drops on the cup. Anastasia was given the job to stir it. Then she gave it back to Muchiko.  
"Everyone to the bathroom," she said.  
We all walked into the bathroom. Anastasia was standing on the bathtub, reciting a prayer. Julie and Muchiko were next to me.  
"Take off your clothes," she ordered.  
I did what she told me. From the look on her face, it was clear that this wasn't a joke. Something was wrong, and it all had to do with that crazy boy, Lisle. I was naked as she gave me the glass. Then, she shut off the lights. The cup had an illuminating slowly, I drank it all. I put the cup to where the sink was -I think- and just stood there. I saw that my chest was a bright green as Muchiko and Julie came to observe it. I couldn't see it very well, but all I felt was a point of a finger.  
And of course a scream by Anastasia.  
"What is it?" I asked.  
They took me out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. I sat in the bed again. Muchiko covered her face with her hand. Julie was just simply shaking her head. Anastasia was on her knees, still in prayer. If she was actually praying, then this was something really horrible.  
Julie sat down next to me.  
"O.k. This might scare you a bit."  
"Am I still pregnant?"  
"Well, no. That was actually taken care of."  
"Is it worse?"  
"A whole lot worse," said Muchiko.  
"What can be worse than that?"  
"Firstly, you're still a virgin. Obviously since you didn't bleed."  
Damn, now that was worse news than anything.  
"So if I still am, then how did he-," I said but was interrupted by Julie.  
"Simple: he placed his…'seed' in a glue gun and….well, 'aim and shoot'."  
"But couldn't I have felt something?"  
I checked my pants in the bathroom. Sure enough, there was a hole in it.  
"O.k., so he got me there," I said walking back to bed and almost tripping over a still knelt Anastasia. "So what else happened?"  
"Well during that 'shot', he also placed something else inside you," said Julie.  
"Which weirdly enough is found inside beneath your lungs," said Muchiko.  
"Which is?"  
Muchiko stroked my hair. "There's a very small phone inside your body with the numbers 'five hundred and ninety-six' on it. Two things that it may as well signify: it could mean days or hours."  
"O.k. Let's go with the non-troubling one. Five hundred and ninety-six days would mean what in the bible?"  
Anastasia got up from kneeling for the past ten minutes. "The days wouldn't mean much in the bible. Only Natasha would know the answer to that."  
We all looked at Muchiko. "Please continue," I said to Anastasia.  
"In hours however, since every day is twenty four hours, then in days that would be….twenty five days."  
"Umm, sorry to sound stupid, but we aren't in December."  
"Twenty five days….and you explode," said Muchiko.  
Julie banged on the wall. Muchiko was right on that one aspect: it was worse than getting pregnant.  
"Isn't there a way to remove it?" I said.  
"No. It's too logged up inside closely to your lungs. I don't know how Harumi was able to make something very intelligent like this inside of you, but I'm really positive that she isn't doing this alone."  
I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I only have twenty five days left to live. I was so upset at myself for allowing that boy to try and sleep with me, much less enter the same room as me that it was going to now cost me big time. I went back out of the bathroom.  
"So, if someone tries to remove it?" I asked Muchiko.  
"Then, by the way it's placed in your body, it will cut up part of your lung in the process," she said.  
"So what the hell do we do?" said an enraged Julie.  
"How about we grab Harumi and tell her how we get the bomb out of me?" I said.  
We were stopped by a knock on the door.  
"Excuse me. There's a big crowd over the two dead bodies of the couple in the fountain. No one has touched them. Since you were the one who was trying to solve this just like all of us, I think you better see what's going on for yourself."  
"O.k. Thank you," said Muchiko.  
She looked around. "You guys ready to go?"  
Julie and Anastasia both nodded. I still had on a worried face as Muchiko was stepping out of the door. She turned to me and said, "Remember, I was the one who warned you not to see that boy."  
I swallowed. This was something I was really starting to be afraid of. It still felt like Muchiko knew a little too much about all of this and I was always thinking whether or not she was just yanking my chain. Bringing myself to follow my friends through the door, I figured that since I was going to die, I might as well fight until the end of the madness.  
I hope that end would come soon. I am so hungry for a hamburger.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

"So their heads look funny. What's the big deal?" said Julie.  
"That's always a big deal," I said.  
"They just don't seem right," said Anastasia.  
"That's because they're twisted," said Muchiko.  
The officers let us through. Also added were a whole lot of stares from the crowd. It was very much expected to get those stares. We were bascially a group of weirdoes: white dress, military clothes, sappy Russian, and a very clumsy teen girl from Chicago. If we weren't careful of how we acted around these people, we could've been confused for murders. That's all said and good for them, but I didn't want that image tainted on me.  
Muchiko was surrounded by officers, while we were behind her waiting for any leads. Julie poked me in the shoulder.  
"Hey, are you feeling alright?"  
I looked at my stomach. Damn, I almost forgot about the "new friend" that was sneakily placed inside me. I began to get worried. I really didn't know whether to treat this as a pregnancy or just to treat it as a regular bomb. Probably just wait until this was over. I began to think about whether Harumi was intelligent enough to plan that on me. Muchiko was smart enough to hear the bomb and Harumi knew that Muchiko knew how to find it. I began to take deep breaths and hope that I don't get kidnapped soon. That was on my mind. I was all set to be a human bomb for either something or someone. From my memory, this has nothing to do with the bible…just probably the twenty-five days part.  
Muchiko began to step forward to us.  
"I need a few minutes alone. I promise to report you any info that I find," she said.  
"Remember, there's only two days left," I said.  
"I thought it was twenty-five," said Julie.  
"No no, it's something else."  
I explained to Julie about the passage in the bible that pertained to the deaths of the couple. Julie was surprised.  
"So what happens afterwards?" she said.  
"An earthquake. A big earthquake," said Anastasia.  
"That's not good. That's not good at all. Luckily this is a small town so we can get the people out of here very quickly."  
"I don't think that is how it works. Who knows, whether it might be something really huge that might rip the whole country apart," I said.  
"Geez Kathy, don't scare me like that."  
"That's the harsh reality of it and of Harumi. No matter what you think of it, Harumi is a complete psycho and wants everyone dead."  
"Not just everyone you know."  
"Yeah I forgot the dumb reason behind it."  
Muchiko motioned to Anastasia. She went over to her while me and Julie waited. Then we saw Muchiko punch the ground with her fist.  
"I don't think that's a good sign," she said.  
"It's never a-"  
I started holding my chest in pain. Julie started holding me, when Muchiko ran towards me.  
"Hey are you alright?" said Muchiko.  
"No I'm not. I'm riding in pain here."  
It felt like the bomb was taking out air from my lungs. I began to cough and started to have shortness of breath. The police wanted to take me to the hospital, but I didn't want to leave Muchiko alone. I had to keep a close eye on her. As much as she wanted to be helpful to me in this moment of pain, she was still one of those people who would kick a cat in such anger inside. No one here knew her a bit well then I did. I still ddin't think I knew her.  
Muchiko was yelling at the crowd, "Get back! Get back!"  
Julie carried me over her shoulder, while I barely saw Muchiko say something to Anastasia. Julie made me lay down on the stairs of the plaza.  
"Hey relax, you'll be fine o.k? Don't worry so much. I promise you'll be o.k. Just don't get scared," she said.  
Julie was more freaked out than I was. She was sweating from her nervousness and didn't know what to do. Anastasia walked over.  
"Muchiko wants to know how you're feeling and she wants us to leave this area."  
"Well I'm doing- what?"  
I leaped out of Julie's arms and ran to where Muchiko was. Ignoring the pain was a huge mistake. I had so much energy that I wanted to test it against someone who was holding her breath around the area of the two bodies. That really worried me.  
"Why did you want us to leave?" I said to her.  
Muchiko was poking the female body with a small stick.  
"Very very interesting," she said looking at the body.  
"What is?"  
"The fact that you don't listen to me for at least one second. Also, aren't you supposed to have extreme stomach pains?"  
"The pain went away. It was probably an alarm as a reminder that 'it' was still inside."  
That was a complete lie. I can hide my depression and sadness like a pro, but the pain however was tougher than I thought. I can thank my dear sister Jessie however for teaching me how to hide pain. Once, she was on a date and suffered a clumsy accident from just tripping on a sidewalk that had no bumps or anything to misplace your feet in as you walk or run.  
No surprise there.  
Well, Jessie suffered a minor ankle injury as she continued on with her date. She came home and was really worried, but had an idea of how to work through the pain. The next morning, she came into my room and started to brag about her date and stuff. I was in no mood interested to hear what she had to say, but then she began to get out of breath. I asked if she was o.k, but then kept talking and ran into her room. After a week, she finally told me that she had a broken ankle and hid ice in her foot for the whole week. I asked her how she hid the pain really well. All she did was sat down next to me in my room and just said: "Hold your breath and count to ten and picture the pain gone." That was really stupid advice. She could've just said to me, "go to the hospital."  
I wonder what she's doing now.  
So I did my best to hide the pain from Muchiko. Good thing that she didn't spot it on me right away. She looked the type that didn't like getting lied to.  
"So what did you find out?" I asked her.  
Muchiko was still trying to analyze the bodies and also trying to remove them from the floor, but it was no use. Construction workers and other civilizans tried their luck in peeling off the bodies, but no luck. Muchiko didn't look the part of wanting to give up. Something had to be done, or else there was going to be an earthquake in two days. And that was never good for anyone.  
Muchiko told everyone to step back as she took out something from her belt. Anastasia and Julie cam to join me at my side as we all stepped back out of her way. It looked like it was acid from where I was -I didn't know anything about that stuff; it looked more like orange soda- and the beaker wasn't a beaker at all. It looked a whole lot metallic. I saw her pour the stuff around the bodies, but being careful not to sprinkle any of it around the unconscious victims. Then after a few seconds, she began to touch the surface. She had a look of surprise on her face. We all ran towards her. Julie spoke first.  
"No luck at all?"  
"Well, it's not that. It's just that, I poured fluorosulfuric acid on the pavement and it didn't even break through," said Muchiko.  
"Uhhh, I'm confused. What's the difference?" I asked.  
"It's more powerful than sulfuric acid in case you were wondering. It didn't even penetrate the ground."  
"Hey wait a second. How is that possible?"  
Anastasia felt the ground near the bodies.  
"It feels a lot like soft sand."  
"Aren't these cops trying to find the killer?" said Julie.  
"You mean Harumi? Yes they are. Just like we're doing right now."  
I shruddered to think of what Harumi was doing right now. An idea flew in my head. Since the pain was gone, it gave me a clear path to think but the idea was something I knew Muchiko would reject automatically. I don't even know how I would feel saying the idea out loud to my crew. I was even more afraid however, that either Muchiko would completely reject my idea without even listening to me, or she would actually go with it and try it out. I took a deep breath and let it all out.  
"How about we just simply ask Lisle?"  
Anastasia looked at me as though she ate something disgusting. Either that, or something was really wrong in the air. Julie couldn't believe what she was hearing. My only concern was Muchiko's reaction. She said something, however that made me think twice in even saying it in the first place.  
"That's a good idea. Only difference is that you're going to be the one to talk to him, alone."  
I was completely stunned.  
"Wait, why?"  
"Well of course, it is your idea."  
That was her way of agreeing and disagreeing with me.  
"O.k fine. So who's going to go with me?" I suggested. Something tells me that wherever he was held, I needed someone with me. I was not going to do it alone.  
Muchiko nodded. Julie and Anastasia went with Muchiko as she talked to an officer.  
Muchiko came back along with Anastasia. She was cracking up with a smile.  
"He's held all the way in Grenoble which is north," said Muchiko. "Like I said, you're going by yourself."  
"But…but…can't Julie come with me?"  
This made Muchiko frown a bit. She didn't mind her new friends, but she looked the type as though she wanted to go along with the fun. If she did, then she shouldn't have said a word about me going by myself. This was the exact reason why I said Julie's name first.  
"Sorry, not possible. Try to get as much information from him as you possibly can," said Muchiko.  
"Great. When can I go?" I said.  
Muchiko motioned to an officer who looked in his early thirties.  
"Don't worry, He knows English. Have fun and enjoy your free trip," she said.  
"Simply wonderful."  
"I did explain, and he also will leave you alone for you to interrogate him."  
"So not even he's going with me?"  
"Nope. I told him not to or else I would drown him in a sea of piranhas."  
"And he believed you?"  
"My eyes and my look are all that I need to show anyone that I'm serious in my threats."  
"And when will you come back?"  
"Before the earthquake I suppose."  
Translation: tomorrow evening.  
She motioned me to head off as the officer took me in the back seat of his car. Anastasia gave a sad little wave. I didn't know how long the ride would took and if the officer had enough gas to get me there. I was starting to think this was a big mistake. The only obvious place Harumi would be is in Paris. Probably the reason Muchiko didn't go there with an army yet was because she didn't think Harumi would be that stupid to hide out in a familiar place. Good reason obviously. That would be the same as a sitting duck.  
So I sat in the back as the officer, whose name is Larry, drove me through the forest infested streets. I wasn't tired, but I was too shy to make any sort of conversation. He had red hair and nice blue eyes, but of course he was too old for me. Larry looked through his rear view mirror and tried to strike up a conversation. Apparently, he was getting bored as well. I was very alert when it came to strangers; of course, that failed when I ran into Lisle. Thanks to me and not listening to any advice, this has all turned out to be a really big mess. I really need to take up a better approach in paying more attention.  
As we were heading up the road, I was about to fall asleep when suddenly the siren started going off really loudly.  
"Hey what's going on?" I said.  
"Hang on. We got ourselves a speeder," he said.  
Larry slammed on the gas. We were chasing another car that was cutting across lanes as though the driver was drunk. Man, I really hoped this would be over really soon.  
The car was a grey Renault Clio -according to Larry- and from the start, it looked as though it was waiting for us. I wasn't too sure about that tidbit of information since I was so sleepy I couldn't pay attention to the road in itself. So it had to be one of Harumi's friends; more importantly someone knew I was going to drop by and pay Lisle a visit so they had this planned ahead of time, or someone was of course a spy and telling our business to Harumi. I didn't care about either of those choices. I only cared about the third choice: just getting this interrogation over with.  
The Renault was probably going at speeds around 120 miles per hour. It was luck that it didn't collide with any other vechicle swerving around the highway like that. Larry kept in close pursuit. I was leaning towards the front of the car, when a truck was turning towards our lane. Larry hit the brakes really hard; I almost cracked the window of the back of the police cruiser.  
"You o.k back there?" he said.  
"Yeah I'm just fine. Only a small pounding headache."  
"Good. Hang on."  
He stepped on the gas again as I felt myself getting pushed back into my seat with such exhilarating force. The Renault kept going at its high speeds until it fell on a ditch near the town of Gap. Another police car was behind us as we drove right by the damaged car. I stayed behind while Larry got out of the car with his gun drawn. He didn't say anything like "Out of the car!" Rather, his face looked really worried. The police officer on the other car got, but stayed near his car. He looked afraid as well. Larry edge closer to the car and took a peek inside.  
"Kathy! Could you come over here please?" he said.  
I got out of the car and forgotten how breezy it was outside. I guess part of my memory was hit when my head met the glass. Yeah, that's how much it hurts.  
"Yes?" I said walking up towards him.  
"You recognize her?"  
I peeked at the driver seat. The car was flipped over on its backside. What shocked me were the driver and the carnage inside. Her head was leaking with blood and she was still somewhat conscious. I recognized the driver as one of Julie's military friends I encountered in the island of Corsica. I forgotten her name, but by her face, I recognized her really well, no mistake about it. I stood a there looking at it, when Larry nudged me.  
"Huh?"  
"Do you know her?"  
"Oh. No. No I don't."  
I didn't want to be in more trouble than I was in before. I couldn't even talk on my cellphone to arouse suspicion. The other police officer was in conversation with Larry while I went back to the car. I crouched down below the seat as I quickly dialed Julie's number. It kept ringing as I was shaking the phone nervously trying to keep out of Larry's line of sight. Finally after six seconds, there was a voice on the other side of the phone.  
"Yes?"  
"Hello. Is this Julie?"  
"Yeah."  
I was relieved that the phone wasn't hacked by Harumi like before. However, I was cautious as I kept holding my breath; hoping it was still Julie that I was talking to.  
"It's me Kathy," I said in a whisper.  
"Oh, o.k. Why are you whispering?"  
"Listen. One of your army friends from before was found in an accident."  
"Really? Who was it?"  
I saw Larry coming in my direction. I hung up the phone, quickly turned off the vibration of my phone, and pretended to sleep. Larry woke me up.  
"Huh? What happened?" I said.  
"I called the ambulance. She's still breathing, but very softly."  
"Oh. Well that's good that she is o.k."  
"I asked the other officer to get me a report on her medical condition. Hopefully we'll be able to question her."  
"O.k. That's good I guess."  
I closed my eyes as I felt the car begin to move. I really didn't know what to do. If I told him the truth, then he'll think I was in on this whole ordeal and would be really in trouble. There was a spy here, and it was either any one of us. Or maybe Natasha was still alive and she was forced to spill the beans on where we were. Whoever that was, I really wish that Natasha was still alive. I could not bear to see her blood in my hands.  
A bump on the road woke me up. We arrived almost a bit past nightfall as I saw the city of Grenoble. It was a bigger area than the town of Cannes, with its big hill -which Larry said it was called "The Bastille"-, and its cable cars. People looked as though they were getting off from work and others, mostly teens, were coming from a park party. I didn't realize how much fun it was in a place like this. I went past three restaurants and two ice cream places. Call that street my "retirement" area.  
We arrived at a police station as I followed Larry inside. I stood next to the door as I entered. I was too nervous to even step forward. There was a desk and only a few officers walking around with the exception of Larry. I didn't see Lisle around, but Larry motioned me to follow him through a doorway. I kept quiet during the entire walk over to another office. There was a table and two seats, which looked like an interrogation room. The usual big screen mirror was to the right of me. I didn't have to be a super sleuth to know that was a two way mirror. I was completely frightened.  
"Hey. What if something happens?" I said.  
"We're ordered to shoot," he said and walked around the room.  
I sat there trying my best to calm myself down and trying my best to get rid of the nervousness that befolded me. I was about to take out my cellphone but I thought better of it. I knew that they might use my phone to get information that I may not have said or anything missing that they needed. Then, I remembered that I totally forgot about the days that would set up the big earthquake. Adding to that countdown of course would be my own demise that would now be in twenty four days. What fun.  
I buried my face in my hands as I tried to say a prayer, but the door opened and in came Lisle in handcuffs. As the door closed, he didn't have a smile on his face. He seemed angry. I wasn't going to take any chances at all. He was really scary looking now that I've seen his true side.  
"Hi. How are you?" I asked. That was a really bad way to start an interrogation but I really didn't know what to say. At first, Lisle's face was red, like he'd been crying. Then he looked really worried.  
"It wasn't me that did it," was the first words that he said to me.  
I didn't know whether to believe him or not.  
"Prove it," I said.  
"The room was broken in to."  
"By who?"  
"I really couldn't see the person's face. It was dark remember?"  
"I don't remember. You and your harassing arms got me moved to the closet. I didn't hear anything."  
"Well, it happened."  
I took a deep breath.  
"Excuse me a second," I said.  
I stepped out of the room, really scared out of my mind. I didn't want to tell him that he -or if he was telling the truth- or someone else put a bomb inside me. The whole police station would freak out. I looked around the hallway left and right to see if there were cops patrolling the hallway as I took a quick glance at my phone. Eight missed calls. I took a slow deep breath and re-focused on what I was looking for. I was happy that Jessie and her crazy ideas were on my mind again. I asked the guy in the front desk if they had any water and a towel. He was confused, but then another person asked me what I wanted.  
"What's the towel for?" he said. His English was confusing, but I understood what he said. He looked really suspicious at me. Probably knew what I was thinking of doing, so I had to come up with a quickie story.  
"Lisle is sweaty and I'm thirsty," I said. "It's really not a problem. That's all I need. I also need a young helping hand."  
I had to thank Jessie's movies for what I was about to do. Lord, forgive me if it meant I was going to kill him.  
The officer who spoke English gave me the materials, but then said I was in there alone without any help. What I wanted to do needed two people, not one. This wasn't going to be easy.  
I went back inside where Lisle was still there. I had a pitcher of water and a medium sized towel. I placed both items on the table.  
"What are those for?" he said, waking up from a very short nap.  
"Just shut it alright? I want answers. Where's Harumi?"  
"I really don't know. All she said to me when I ran into her was that she was heading north."  
Muchiko recently made the good scientific judgment that she wouldn't be anywhere near Paris. That would've been really easy for us to spot her. I took the towel and, seeing that he was still handcuffed, flipped his chair on its back while I sat on his legs. I knew he wouldn't do the same escape trick Natasha did in Germany. As she told me, that really does hurt.  
"I would strongly advise you not to get any stupid ideas. I'm here strickly on business," I said.  
"Hey I told you that it wasn't me," said Lisle.  
"I don't care about that anymore, because thanks to you, you bastard, I have a freaking bomb in my chest," I said in an angry whisper.  
"What? How did that happen?"  
I took the pitcher of water in the other hand. "Tell me where's Harumi."  
"I really don't know."  
"LIAR!"  
"Really…I don't know."  
I covered his face with a towel and pour a bit of water in his face. He began to cough really loudly. Once I removed the towel, he was gasping for air. So what they say is true; I guess it does make you feel like your drowning. His face was red with tears. I didn't believe anything if his tricks or what he might as well be planning. I was about to cover his face again, until I stopped. This was something Muchiko would've loved to do but not me. I wasn't like those types of people who would go through great lengths in order to torture someone. I stopped and just watched him cry and still struggling to get some air. I was pure hearted. Even people who I didn't know in school would know that I was a really decent person. I put the water and the towel back in the table. I flipped his chair right side up. He was still in tears, but he began to breathe again.  
"You got a bomb?" said Lisle.  
"I don't know why you sound so surprised to hear that information," I said.  
"Well, it seems unnatural that the person who attacked me would do something like that to you."  
"Where in your body did this person attack you?"  
"On the right side of my neck."  
I tackled him to the ground as he was still sitting on the chair. Ripping his collar, I saw no scar.  
Screw it. I wasn't going to be pure anymore.  
"Tell me what I want to know right now, or else I will drown you for real," I said.  
"I'm telling you. It wasn't me at all," said Lisle.  
I stood on top of him, staring down as to what look like a scared fifteen year old boy. I didn't even ask him his real age. If Natasha was here, she would've probably held me back in trying to drown him. If Muchiko was here, however she would've egged me on in finishing the job. I didn't want to listen to any of them. There was one person who I wanted to try and get advice, but the last time I heard from her, Rebecca told me that I had to take her out of my mind. So I took a deep breath, and told him:  
"Listen. Just tell me what you know. I'll know if you're lying."  
"I'm serious. I only saw her once and I really don't know anything about all of this."  
"O.k. Relax. About the two bodies from the plaza."  
"What about them?"  
"The day after tomorrow, there's going to be a massive earthquake."  
"Massive that it will rip the country apart?"  
I suddenly stopped cold. I didn't know if it was the bomb that was inside of my chest, or the sweat, the nervousness, or anything like that, but he gave me a really huge clue. I wanted to kiss him, but I've gone through a whole lot of drama in one day. I kissed him on the forehead and ran out of the door. Larry came out of another door.  
"So what happened?" he said.  
"I need a map of France. Now!"  
Larry started screaming something in french. I stood there, not touching my phone at all. I was, in all aspects, freaking out. I knew where she was, thanks to Lisle. He came back five minutes later with another group of officers as he placed a map in front of me. There was a hush from the small room as I began to look at the map closely.  
"O.k Larry. Where are we in this map?" I asked.  
"We are here. Grenoble," he said, pointing at the lower right side of the map.  
I had my finger pointing at the town, while I was looking for the town of Cannes. Of course, since I was an expert on looking through maps, I found it with no problem. I gave a hard swallow as I traced my finger from Cannes all the way north. I gave a small sound of relief as I went past Paris, but now my finger started to shake even more. The invisible line ended up a couple of miles south from the town of Cherbourg. I looked at the map with fear. The line almost literally cut through the whole country perfectly in half. I turned around slowly. Larry and the rest of the officers were looking at me nervously, waiting for some sort of good news. I really don't know what kind of good news they were expecting to hear.  
"What is it?" he said.  
"We have to get to Cherbourg. Immediately!" I announced.  
"Immediately? Why?"  
"It's tough to explain."  
"How is it tough?"  
"Well, there's a possibility there could be an earthquake."  
"An earthquake?"  
"That can split the country apart."  
"When will this happen?"  
"Tomorrow, in the evening."  
There was silence. Larry translated the announcement to the rest of them. After that one, there was a huge wave of panic. I ran back to where Lisle was.  
"Get me out of here!" he said.  
I tried to remove the handcuffs, but it was no use. I didn't want his hands to bleed like Natasha's did before.  
"I'll look for some keys," I said.  
"Oh o.k."  
I really didn't know what made me help him in the first place. I didn't want to leave him there, but I still didn't trust him. As such, I would never leave anyone behind. I went back out to the main office and tried my best to look for Larry. I assumed that at least someone other than him knew English, but of course he never gave me the proper introduction to anyone in the building. I went back to Lisle and to my surprise, he was gone. There was nothing broken, and the handcuffs were on the floor. I saw no lockpick or anything of that matter around the area. Larry came in. He was out of breath.  
"Why did you free him?" he said panting.  
"I didn't. He escaped."  
"I didn't see anyone walk out."  
"He's probably still inside here."  
"You wanna try and find him?"  
"No. I really need to get to Cherbourg. And your coming with me."  
"I don't think we can make it there less than twenty four hours."  
"Sure you can. Just use a helicopter."  
"Huh?"  
"Oh c'mon already. We have to get in the car and get to an airport now!"  
Me and Larry went outside into his police car. My heart was racing as I dialed Julie's number again. She answered the phone.  
"Julie. JULIE!" I shouted.  
"Geez Kathy. You didn't have to scream in my ear," she said.  
"Sorry."  
"So what did you find out?"  
"Put Muchiko on the phone."  
"And why didn't you just call her?"  
"Just…do it."  
"O.k. Hang on."  
A couple of voices were heard as someone with a Japanese accent was heard on the other line. For a weird reason, it was relief to hear her voice.  
"Hello?" she said.  
"Muchiko listen. I'm heading to Cherbourg in a helicopter. I know it's something beyond your expertise, but you think you can meet me there?"  
"Wait. First, why in Cherbourg? And where is Cherbourg?"  
I told her about the random clue Lisle told me and about the earthquake and how he escaped. I didn't mention the fact that the earthquake would break the country in half. Getting Muchiko freaked out was something I didn't want in my conscious. Muchiko however to my surprise, took my news as calmly as possible. She cleared her throat and then said:  
"So let me get this straight: You're heading to the other side of the country and you want us to meet you there on the assumption that the earthquake will start in Cherbourg and end up here in Cannes?"  
"Yeah."  
"And you think Harumi is in that area?"  
"Yeah."  
"How in the world are we supposed to get to the other side of the country by tomorrow? Are you insane?"  
It's funny how an insane person calls me insane.  
"Well you're smart enough. I'm sure you'll figure it out," I said in hopes that she will at least be happy getting a compliment from me.  
"I really didn't like that comment at all. That was very offensive from you Katherine," she said.  
Nope, she didn't buy it.  
"O.k I'm sorry. Can you make it as fast as you can?"  
"We'll try," she said and hung up.  
Larry was driving as fast as he could.  
"Where are we going?" I said.  
"Grenoble-Isère Airport. It's not far from here."  
"Oh?"  
"For the helicopter you requested."  
I couldn't even dare tell him that I was only being a bit sarcastic. All of that went out of the window. Muchiko called me back.  
"Yes?" I said.  
"I got word from Anastasia that if the earthquake were to happen, then there's a good chance that the country itself would be literally torn apart. Is this true?"  
"Well…sort of."  
"Dammitt. We gotta move now!"  
"But you girls won't make it in time. Plus, how in the world are we going to stop an earthquake from happening? That's impossible."  
"Hey Kathy."  
"Yes?"  
"Shut up! Have faith once in a while. I think you're lacking it very much."  
She hung up. I really didn't know how in the world we were going to stop an earthquake from happening; after all, it was the work of Mother Nature. If this can actually get stopped, it would be a miracle if we could pull it off. I hope Natasha thoughts are with me right now. This wasn't getting any easier.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

"How in the world do you start this thing?" I asked.  
"I'm not sure," said Larry.  
"You're not sure?"  
"No of course not."  
"Aren't you trained?"  
"Yes I am, but not for helicopter travel."  
We were bickering in front of a helicopter because Larry, being the gentlemen that he is, decided to not go with a trained pilot over to the town of Cherbourg and wanted to do it himself. It was as if he was seeing a helicopter for the first time because once we walked over to the helicopter, after refusing the help of the trained professional, he turned white. There were many factors in why Larry was freaking out. The big earthquake was the thought on my mind and I really wanted to get there in a hurry. I was still confused and really unsure of how we would stop the earthquake. I never heard of some chemistry miracle stopping a force of Mother Nature; a tornado maybe, if you poison the clouds and capture the wind, but I am still not sure of an earthquake. I tried my best to push Larry into the helicopter, but he was freaking out.  
"I can't do it," he was saying.  
"O.k fine. I'll do it."  
I never did want to be angry at someone like Larry. After all, he was the one who volunteered to take me all the way over here under the orders of Muchiko and her "stare." Still, we were in a rush. One day for France, twenty-three days for me.  
The helicopter was fairly small compared to those I've seen used by police officers. There was a small area in the back for Larry. He went in first as I hopped on to the seat. The first problem that I already knew I wasn't going to get by was that there was so many buttons on it. I was in a notch of panic.  
"How in the world do you start this thing?" I said.  
Larry was quiet, but didn't start to push any buttons like I was tempted to do.  
"Hang on a second."  
He stepped out of the helicopter and ran out to an assistant. I was more surprised he didn't stay with me to at least try and figure this out. I looked around at all of the buttons, hoping to find one that said something along the lines of "push button to start helicopter." There were many gauges to look at. I figured that they weren't interesting, but Larry came back in with a piece of paper and started to look at all of them with precision; matching the number with a paper that I couldn't even see.  
"Hey, what are you doing?" I said.  
"Checking everything to see if everything's o.k."  
I was starting to lose my patience. I threw the paper on the floor and stepped on it without giving it a second look.  
"Look. You see that one there? It says that the fuel is o.k to travel. Just tell me how to start this thing," I said.  
Larry frowned a bit and pushed a button.  
"The guy says to pull the joystick slowly. Just wait for the main rotor to start spinning at its maximum so that you can start lifting it up," he said.  
I shook him off. "Alright."  
The engine began to shake up the inside of the helicopter. I was so nervous, I actually forgot to put on my seatbelt. Damn, just my luck. The most important thing ever and I was about to fly a machine with no airbags.  
The main rotor began to spin as I took a deep breath. I reached for my phone and called Julie.  
"Hey do you know how to fly a helicopter?" I said.  
"Hey umm, aren't you underage?" she replied.  
"So do you or not?"  
"Girl, what the heck are you trying to do? You wanna get yourself killed?"  
I hung up.  
"I guess we're on our own Larry," I said to him behind me.  
"Great. Very wonderful."  
I grabbed the joystick and gently pulled it back towards me. I felt the helicopter rose up. I smiled. I was doing something really good and at the same time, really freaking out. I didn't want to show it to Larry. He's already freaking out behind me seeing clearly that an 18 year old was flying a helicopter and he isn't doing anything to stop it. What a way to be under parental supervision.  
The helicopter started to rise up slowly. As it got around three hundred feet, Larry pointed straight ahead.  
"That's the direction we have to go to get to Cherbourg," he said.  
Unfortunately, he didn't know me very well, as I turned the helicopter to the left.  
"Where are you going? That's the wrong way," he said.  
"Hey I'm not getting myself crashed in the mountains over by Switzerland. It's in this direction," I replied.  
The helicopter started to steady itself as the joystick was feeling rather heavy. Then I noticed something that even a novice would've found out WAY beforehand.  
"Damn, how do you turn on the light? I've been following building lights for the past three minutes," I said.  
"I suggest we don't," said Larry. "If your gothic friend says that this person is dangerous and intelligent, then chances are that this person is expecting us to arrive there."  
"Your right, but that's only if Harumi knows that we found her hiding place."  
I'll have to admit it that I was a very fast learner, with the help of Larry of course guiding me along the way. It wasn't easy with the small turns; I was no fool flying across France in a straight line. I was pressured in answering my phone as it started to vibrate constantly. Larry was about to take it from my pocket when I stopped him.  
"Don't take it," I said.  
"Well why not? It could be important."  
"Trust me. From those girls, I wouldn't take the chance to answer it."  
"Aren't they coming to help us?"  
I was an idiot for not answering my phone, but I was also an idiot in forgetting to ask Julie if they were actually on their way. I knew Muchiko would somehow find a way over, Anastasia was the pack of prayers that we all needed, and Julie was a military war nut who knew really good strategies about landscapes. If there was any group of people who would make it to the other side of a country in a matter less than ten hours, it would be those girls. I just wish they were more coordinated in their actions.  
And that they would make it alive.  
"I'm sure they will," I said to Larry.  
After about half an hour, I was feeling sleepy. I didn't realize that we were about ninety miles from the southern part of Cherbourg. I had no idea how the town looked like. Of course, we didn't even fly past Paris like I had planned almost all of my life. If only there wasn't an earthquake in the forecast. Also, my stomach began to hurt. Damn, not now.  
"Hey, you feeling alright?" Larry said to me.  
"I'm o.k. I can manage. The pain will go away."  
I needed to manage the pain and the flying at the same time. So I decided to try and have a conversation with him.  
"So Larry. You have family?" I asked.  
"Yes, I have a wonderful wife. Her name's Carmilla."  
"Is she pretty?"  
"Oh yes. We're planning to have kids."  
"Oh cool."  
"She's really amazing. She's a librarian."  
"How did you guys meet?"  
"Well, it was at a young age. I wanted a-"  
Out of nowhere, what looked like a small missile was shot out from the ground and barely missing the helicopter.  
"Geez! What the hell was that?" screamed Larry.  
"Well, I think we've made it to the town don't you?" I said with a worried look on my face.  
I was freaking out, looking all over the ground to see where that missile came from.  
"I think we have to jump," he said. "It's not safe here."  
"Oh no. I'm not doing that again," I said.  
"Again?"  
"Never mind."  
"We can fly north to the English Channel in case anything happens."  
Wonderful. Either get blown up, or get caught up by water; my old enemy. I tried to get it to land, but unfortunately, there was no landing pad at all around the area, not from what I can tell. I saw a small hill up ahead. I was about to glide the helicopter down slowly. Another small missile came from my right and blasted the tail motor.  
"Dammitt! We're going down," I said.  
I tried to steady the helicopter, but there were many alarms that were going off signaling to me that I needed to jump out.  
"Larry, are there any parachutes?" I asked.  
"None. None at all," he said.  
Why am I the one getting thought all of these death defying stunts?  
I was starting to gain a bit of control of the helicopter, but then something was heard below the helicopter like a loud gunshot.  
"Larry, what's down there?" I asked.  
"Uhhh, that would be the gas."  
"Really?"  
"Really."  
"Nice."  
I pulled the joystick towards me, hoping that it would elevate the helicopter some more.  
"Up! Up! C'mon dammitt, go up!" I shouted.  
By the way I treated it, the helicopter would never listen to me. No matter how much I begged it.  
Larry took control of the helicopter.  
"We have to head for the English Channel. It's the only possible solution I could think of."  
"How about we just jump?" I said.  
Larry, seeing as there was no way out of it, got off the seat, grabbed me, and opened the door. The helicopter started to decend rapidly. I only prayed that Larry knew what he was doing.  
A light from afar signaled that another rocket was heading for us. Without another word, we both took one quick glance below to the channel and jumped. I quickly place my phone on a button up pocket I had on my pants. I just hoped it was water-proof. As we dived in, the helicopter exploded. The scary thing about this experience other than the recent ones was that this time it was dark. So it made the fear of drowning a whole lot worse. I immediately swam up to get some well deserved air. As I got up, I was coughing really heavily. The salt was really doing a number on me from the inside. It wasn't doing well on the bomb situation either. I couldn't see anything, which meant I didn't know if Larry was still alive. I thought about calling out for him, but I didn't want to alert Harumi. I started swimming aimlessly, when something grabbed my shoulder.  
"Hey did I surprise you?" said Larry. It was a relief to hear his voice and not the sound of a shark.  
"Oh. No, you didn't," I said. I gave a sigh. "I'm sorry, it's just really dark to see anything out here."  
"Well, that area is the harbor. C'mon."  
I felt him grab my hand as he led me slowly through the shallow salty waters. It felt like it was past two in the morning. He kept yawning even after that huge splash and I was almost still dozing off to sleep. I felt my hand slip through his as I was about to fall back in. Luckily, Larry came and scooped me up.  
"Hey watch it alright? Don't scare me like that," he said.  
"Huh?" I said, shaking my head awake. I wouldn't consider myself to have a bedtime, but I really wish I had one.  
"You almost drowned again."  
"Oh don't worry. That has been a normal staple in my adventure thus far."  
From swimming, we went to walking in the sand as we approached the town. There was only around fourteen hours left to find the area where the earthquake would start from.  
"Hey Larry, have you ever been here?" I asked.  
"No I haven't," he replied. "It seems so foreign to me."  
"Not even for vacation?"  
"Paris yes on assignment, but not here."  
We approached the harbor and was about to walk on to the road, when we saw a bunch of flashlights and someone screaming something in japanese to the flashlight holders.  
"Damn. It's Harumi. Hide!" I said.  
Larry had his gun drawn, but he really didn't have any clue on who he was dealing with here. I could've just told him that a gun wouldn't even do enough to harm her, let alone shake her from her evil ways. I kept my mouth shut as we hid behind a small house near the harbor. The lights from the flashlights were shining all over the water.  
"I guess they smell a scent," said Larry. "We have to stop them."  
"Yeah, good luck."  
"Well, we can't just hide here all night."  
"I know I know."  
My mind was going through a bunch of thoughts all in a matter of seconds. The calvary wasn't expected to arrive in the afternoon and I was already almost about to get killed. I didn't know anything about the city and where to escape from. Larry didn't even step foot in here as well so we were both stumped. Larry was breathing heavily.  
"Hey hey whats wrong?" I said.  
"All this stuff that you was talking about regarding this Harumi girl. I would've not known that it was all true."  
"Well, there you go. It is true as you can see."  
"Yeah but, I mean…"  
"What?"  
"Why isn't she arrested yet?"  
"Go ahead and try. She's usually good in bribing officials in doing what she wants. That's why Harumi isn't dead yet."  
"Dammitt. Well, I'm going to be the first."  
He got up from his hiding spot next to me, until I grabbed him and placed him back. I looked over my shoulder to see if any of them heard anything, but no one made a gesture in our direction. That was good. I didn't want any nutcases trying to find us here.  
"Larry, are you crazy?" I said with a whisper.  
"What? I'm only doing my job."  
"You mean getting killed?"  
"Well, we can't just sit here and see what happens?"  
"Or go over there and get killed. I'm sorry but I'm nor risking my health..."  
"…for the health of an entire country?"  
"Damn you."  
He was right. Cute and married, but he was right. I was ridiculed by a dream with Rebecca for not being a leader and got look down upon by Natasha. If my sacrifice counted in the rescue of France, then I might as well get it done. I'm sure it's going to count for something when I get to meet Rebecca in the afterlife. It better.  
"O.k o.k fine," I said. "How you want to do this?"  
"I say we hit her and hit her hard," said Larry.  
"Please remember that she has a whole bunch of followers protecting her."  
"Well, I'm sure I can hit her from here."  
He cocked his pistol, but I stopped him.  
"Wait a second. I guess they've stopped looking for us."  
I saw that Harumi's crew started to dig in the sand. I was really confused. Then I realized that this may have been the area of the start of the earthquake. Planning to cut it in half and flood it with water. How very cliché. It had to be stopped.  
"Radio for backup and then run," I said. "I'll hold them off."  
"What?"  
"Listen. I'm not going to repeat myself again."  
"But-"  
"Just go!"  
Larry gave me a bow and began to chat into his radio. I started to sneak in front of a wall, and hid under a bench as they kept on digging. I didn't know how I was going to start in becoming a distraction to Harumi. I didn't know how long I would be able to hold them off until reinforcements arrived. I shut my eyes and tried to think of how Rebecca would come up with a solution in this situation. There was no answer. I guess that dream would never come real.  
My phone began to vibrate. I glanced at it and saw that it was Muchiko. I covered up the glow that my phone made when I took it out of my pocket. It would've been really embarrassing to get caught on something that silly. As soon as I touched the phone to stop it from vibrating, my stomach began to hurt again. I started to breathe heavily, hoping to get the pain out of me. It would probably have been good practice for when I have to "push" something out of me. Luckily, that glorious would have to wait twenty years.  
It was dark out there as I could only hear the shouts of Harumi having no regards to the neighbors of Cherbourg who are trying to sleep at three in the morning. Since their flashlights were bright enough to show their position, I knew I was safe under the bench so they couldn't see me. I didn't know how to get the distraction started, but doing it on a painful stomach that felt like a hundred knives poking on your body from the inside, was something I wouldn't risk. I stayed quiet and kept breathing. My legs were starting to hurt and my head was stuck on the bench. I noticed that it was too short the hard way. I saw a figure that went off the group of flashlights and headed to the boardwalk. The figure didn't notice me as it headed to a truck that I didn't see until now. I wriggled my body free under the bench and stood up, when a flashlight was shown on my face from someone who was standing rather than sitting on the bench that I was under. I thought for a second that it was some old woman, who mistook me for a robber that was going for her purse.  
If only the old woman was wearing an eyepatch, then I would've felt more relieved.  
"Beatrice. What the heck?" I said. It was the only choice of words that came through my head.  
"Geez Katherine. You really are slow."  
"Listen Beatrice. This is insane."  
"You should talk huh? You're the one with the bomb in your stomach."  
"Damn you Lisle," I muttered in a soft tone to myself so Beatrice won't hear me.  
I tried to remain cool under this odd pressure. It worried me that I was caught. The good news was that this randomly counted as a distraction so that meant that Larry could escape. Still, my main concern was Beatrice in front of me.  
"C'mon Beatrice, you don't have to get all….angry at me. You really want a country literally torn apart just because of some crazy plan thought out by one crazy bitch?" I said.  
Beatrice looked angry and for an obvious reason; I said something that I wasn't going to take back and as such, it made me smile a bit. She made a loud whistle. After a few seconds, I heard someone clapping behind me. The backwards maroon colored baseball cap female was the site that I needed to almost pee my pants. She still looked the same since I saw her in Sweden. Same evil smile, same evil smell. Smells like lemon pefume.  
Harumi whispered something to Beatrice and left. I was face to face with the girl who was committing all of these murders and was cleanly getting away with it. I didn't know how to start a conversation with someone like this. Clearly, I wasn't going to start off with the words, "hey how you doing?" or, "are you having a good day?" That would be really weird. It was Harumi who started the conversation.  
"So, my dear Katherine. How's that bomb coming along?" she said.  
It was a very harsh hello in my opinion. I wasn't clearly thinking of the bomb at the moment, since I only had around twenty-three days to get rid of it. That was really nice of her to remind me of it again.  
"I knew you were behind it. What the heck is wrong with you? How do I get rid of it?" I said.  
I knew I wasn't going to stand a chance fighting her again so it was pointless to try and go at it with her again. Hopefully I can beat her mentally with some actual good sense placed in her brain; if there was some room left inside there. Harumi didn't care at all of what I had to say. She looked as though she just completely ignored me.  
"Want to see something awesome?" she said, touching my chin. I smacked her hand away.  
"Look. I really don't think tearing a country apart would prove your superiority over Muchiko," I said.  
"Really? So what will then?"  
"How about an apology?"  
"You're sick you know that?"  
"What? Look who's talking."  
She was about to smack me, but I grabbed her hand and twisted it.  
"Call this earthquake off, now!" I demanded.  
"The world needs to be purified of all this sin. I must be the one to clean it."  
"No, you're just doing all of this to get back at your sister for what…finding her with another girl? Have you ever heard such a thing as talking?"  
Her grip was starting to slip away from me. I kept holding on to her as long as I could, but her groupie stopped digging and started coming towards me.  
"What?" I said looking at her. "You're afraid you can't face me by yourself?"  
That got her really ticked off. That also made my grip in her hand tighter. Behind me, I heard the girls with flashlights cocked their guns.  
"Let her go," said Beatrice.  
I held Harumi's hand and arm and placed them behind her. I dragged her in front of me onto the oncoming flashlights.  
"No! Until she tells me where Natasha is!"  
"I'm warning you," said Harumi. "Beatrice is a very good sharpshooter. She only needs one eye to kill you."  
I was frightened. It was very likely that I was going to die at this exact spot, but if Larry would come to the rescue at least at this exact moment, then I wouldn't have to worry about getting killed. Still, the thought of him not showing up with backup was on my mind. I kept trying to fight the urge to look back but I felt like my urge was drowning me out. Harumi wasn't even screaming in pain. I held her arm in such a way that her muscle should've been twisted beyond repair. I felt Beatrice step forward and try to break free of my hold, but I stepped back.  
"Where's Natasha?!" I screamed. It was the one thing I wanted to know, other than the bomb of course. If that was the last thing I found out before someone pulled the trigger on me, I could accept that anytime.  
Harumi stopped wriggling free. That was strange. She was staring to my right expecting to see someone.  
"You're not alone aren't you?" she said.  
"Huh? Yes I am."  
"Dosen't feel like something you would plan alone."  
"You're calling me dumb?"  
Harumi kicked me in the shin. Man that's smarts. I fell to one knee, while Harumi tackled me to the ground. It wasn't like my sister putting me to the ground. When she did that, I could've easily escaped since her holds were easily predictable. Not Harumi however. Her hold had no hole in escaping at all.  
"Now, you're going to tell me who you're working with, or else I'll gauge your eyes out just like Saint Lucy."  
I knew nothing about saints but that sounded unhealthy. She was grabbing my head as I heard her pull out a knife.  
"I told you. I'm here alone. Don't you want to at least make peace with your sister?" I said.  
"Until she shows me that she's cured of her wicked disease, never!"  
I was able to grab her right arm where the knife was and started to raise it up, knocking the handle of the knife on her nose. That was one way to get off of the ground. I started to run into the town while I heard gunshots whizz by me.  
Great. Here we go again.  
I went by an alleyway, and barely able to see on how dark it looked. For a time like three thirty in the morning, it was pitch black. I turned around to make sure I wasn't being followed. I sat down on the sidewalk and took a look at my phone. I tried calling Muchiko, but no answer. I felt like they weren't going to show up. They could've at least given me a quick call telling me that they were on my way; at least relieving me of some worry. Then I had an idea. I took a deep breath and made a bold step: I called Natasha.  
"Girl you better pick up," I muttered through my breath quietly.  
The sound of ringing on the other side saved me from having a downright seizure. I waited for a few seconds when suddenly there was a voice on the other side which was in Italian. I didn't understand what it said, but since it wasn't in the familiar tone of Natasha's Russian language, I hung up.  
I got up, when a bunch of flashlights were shining right in my face. I covered my face with my left arm when Larry came towards me.  
"Hey you alright? That was some distraction you put up," he said.  
"Dang it Larry. I told you to leave. Now the girls think I'm not alone."  
"Exactly. You're not alone."  
I had to hand it to him. He was really braver than me and he would do anything for his country. There were forty officers with him. I gave them all a salute.  
"O.k guys. I wish you all the best of luck. If you have to shoot them, go right ahead. The sooner they're all dead, the better the after party could be," I said.  
"No problem," said Larry.  
He led them past me and I followed. I might as well follow him and see the action. As they approached the sands of the beach, there were no flashlights anywhere. Nothing at all. I stayed safely at the boardwalk.  
"Katherine, you said ALL of them would be carrying flashlights. Where are they?" said Larry.  
The area of the sand that Harumi's friends were digging in looked unfinished. Larry and his crew approached it. There was something odd about all of this. I did remember Harumi wanting me to "see something cool." I gave a large panic.  
"STOP!" I screamed.  
They all stopped and turned towards me. I didn't realize that my voice was so powerful; it was able to stop a bunch of police officers.  
"What is it?" said Larry.  
"Don't move another step. It's a trap."  
Too late. The sand started sinking all of them except for Larry. He dived towards me as I reached my hand to him.  
"Shoot! Quicksand!" I said.  
There was no tree big enough in the area to save forty officers. Lights were going on in the buildings, thanks to the screams.  
"Larry what do we do?" I said. He was as confused as I was, but then said, "Look."  
The sand stopped right on the officers' waist.  
"Cement mixer," I said.  
"We have to break them free," he said.  
He was as clueless as I was. It was my time to be a leader.  
"Gimme your gun," I said. I never had a gun held in my life nor had I ever seen Jessie with one. Since I had lives to save with only four bullets, I figured this was a good of a time as ever to hold one.  
"Are you sure you can use it?" said Larry.  
"I don't want you to get caught by any of this idiocy. I'll do it. You keep watch," I said.  
Plus I really didn't know what cemented quicksand had to do with the bible. I ran to the one closest to me.  
"Sir if you just stand still, I'll do my best to try and free you," I said to him and aimed for the left side of his waist. It was horrible that their hands were stuck to their waist; it would've made my job a whole lot easier if they also helped out.  
I opened fire which left a small crack. I used the handle side of the gun to expand the crack, when there was a gunshot heard from behind me. The officer who I was helping gave a loud scream. I also panicked since I whirled around to see Larry with a gash in his head being held from behind by Beatrice. I ran towards him when she pulled out a gun and pointed it to Larry's head. Harumi was holding a boulder, laughing. They were the only two girls there which was really strange.  
"Oh look how history repeats itself. Once again, you're on the wrong side of the stick. Now, if you would be so kindly as to throw the gun here, then no harm would come to your friend," said Harumi.  
"He's married. He has nothing to do with your….your cleansing," I said. "Leave him out of this. I'm here. Why don't you stop being a coward and come face me?"  
Another huge mistake.  
I got Harumi even more pissed. She dropped the boulder and ran after me, getting ready to do a fly kick. I was in a position to defend myself however means necessary.  
Something punctured her leg. I stepped back in fear.  
"Boss, what happened?" said Beatrice.  
Harumi was reeling in pain right next to me. I saw that she pulled out a small knife, with no pain at all. She looked to her left and so did I.  
Muchiko was standing there, by herself. I ran as fast as I could to her side. I turned around to see Harumi slowly get up.  
"Hey Muchiko. Perfect timing," I said. "But why are you here by yourself?"  
"Same reason Harumi and Beatrice are," she said. "You can't have any private thoughts of planning when there are more than two people with you."  
Harumi was limping towards Beatrice. At least we struck a blow towards her, making her bleed.  
I turned towards Muchiko.  
"Aren't there two missing in this group?" I asked.  
"They're asleep. Back in Cannes preventing the earthquake from arriving there."  
"What? How'd you get here?"  
"It wasn't easy at all, but those officers knew the meaning of life and death and helped me nitro up a Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4. I'm still kind of dizzy driving that thing, but I'll be fine. How's your stomach?"  
"It's doing well. Thank you for asking. So you think you can save those officers?"  
"Yeah. I got something that can neturalize that and set them free."  
"Did you at least sleep?"  
"Haven't slept in two days, but I'm so refreshed."  
I've never seen Muchiko so calm like this. Something really must've bumped her head. Harumi however, wasn't happy at all at the appearance of her sister.  
"Refrain from your evils, or else the cop gets it," she said while Beatrice was about to pull the trigger.  
"Sister. No one here has anything to do with this. You said you wanted me, so here I am," said Muchiko.  
That was really an interesting form of bravery. Muchiko even went far as to take off her belt and hand it to me.  
"I thought you need this," I said.  
"Relax. I won't need it. Hopefully Harumi will lead us to the person responsible for these crimes."  
She approached the middle of the boardwalk. Harumi took off her belt and placed it around Beatrice's neck. I really didn't want her to shoot him. I knew about Harumis' crazyness, but not Beatrices'.  
The two sisters were face to face with each other in the middle of the boardwalk. With the forty police officers, Beatrice, Larry, and I watching the intense standoff, I was scared that one blow from these two science geniuses would actually start the earthquake hours early. As we all watch with keen interest of these two about to slug it out, the sun was starting to rise. I felt frozen standing there, not sure of what to do. My stomach didn't hurt, but apparently, it will start to get really queasy from the sight of blood soon enough.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

For a good ten minutes, the two of them circled each other; neither of them making a move. I knew that both of them were equal in strength and intelligence, so it was anybody's game. I wasn't in the crossfire, and I was getting nervous. I wanted to help out in any way I can, but knowing Muchiko, I'm sure she wanted to do it by herself. It was something Harumi always wanted. If I interfered, both of them would've killed me without hesitation. From the distance where I was standing to where the fight was about to begin, -about ten feet-, I was still not safe. So I stood there, trying my best to make sense out of this situation, trying to make sure one of them would come out on top as the winner. I had a feeling Harumi, with her newly injured bad leg, wouldn't have made a difference. If Muchiko could go through such pain as she has done on our adventures and not show any sign of weakness, then Harumi is the same; although I can't imagine anyone stepping up to a challenge with a hole in their leg.  
Harumi started the festivities with a chuckle.  
"What's so funny?" said Muchiko.  
"Oh it's nothing. Just you and your pathetic excuse to wear something fashionably accessible for a showdown like this," she replied.  
I was keeping an eye on Larry, who was held really tightly by Beatrice. Larry was tall and a well proportioned individual, so he would've gotten out of that hold in any way possible. Since he made no choice to try and attempt to free himself at this moment, that would mean someone has a gun pointed at him; Beatrice obviously, but someone else, in case he broke free of Beatrice's grip. I tried my best to scan the area, but the sunrise didn't show any remorse to my eyes. I looked back at Larry. He wasn't frightened at all. He wanted this to end at all costs and I don't blame him. I wanted this to end as well. If only Rebecca was as calm as he was.  
Harumi stopped circling around Muchiko when she reached her netural position.  
"How about a game you and I?" she said.  
"What kind of game?" said Muchiko.  
"If I knock you down to the ground, one officer dies. Since there are forty officers, that would mean the end of forty days, in the desert."  
O.k. Not even I saw that one. Probably Natasha would've seen it, like fifteen minutes ago, but not me. Really planned ahead as far as I'm concerned and an intelligent maneuver.  
Muchiko wasn't in a smiling mood as Harumi was.  
"Let the officer go," said Muchiko.  
"Well, why should I?"  
"Since you got a stipulation, I would like to add one of my own," I said.  
"Sure, I think we can do that."  
"If Muchiko knocks you down, you stop all of this madness!" I screamed.  
Harumi laughed.  
"Oh that wouldn't be fun at all. There's too much sin around this world. And it all started with my pathetic excuse of a Lolita sister. IF ONLY YOU WAS NORMAL, NONE OF THIS WOULD'VE HAPPENED!" she said.  
"I am normal," said Muchiko.  
"NO YOUR NOT! BEING A GIRL AND LIKING GIRLS ISN'T NORMAL!" screamed Harumi.  
She ran towards Muchiko and tripped her surprisingly, almost catching her off-guard. Muchiko put an elbow to the ground and was about to get up, but Harumi punched her in the face.  
There goes the first trip of the morning. Harumi raised her left hand and quickly dropped it in a slashing motion. A gunshot was fired that came from my immediate right and the officer that I was helping to get free was the first one killed; shot right across the head.  
If Muchiko didn't get it together soon, there were only thirty-nine days left.  
She took the chance to get up.  
"That was uncalled for," said Muchiko. "Hitting me while I'm down. I thought I taught you better than that."  
"You didn't teach me anything."  
"Really? I took care of you, guided you under my wing, and this is the respect I get? Now you're planning to split the country apart for your own insane ambition. To try and 'separate the sheep and the goats.'"  
"I guess your skill of thinking ahead isn't lost on you, sis. How about we stop this jabbering and continue where we left off?"  
I shouted out to Muchiko. "Don't forget what Natasha and I told you!"  
Harumi raised her right hand and dropped it in a slashing motion. A gun shot was heard and a bullet hole was placed on the boardwalk, three centimeters from my foot.  
"Talk again, and it'll be your foot," said Harumi angrily. This caused a small distraction, in which Muchiko took the chance and tackled her sister. I resisted the urge to throw a good well earned fist pump for Muchiko, in fears that my arm would've been shot off.  
"Stop this now sister! Please, for our sake," said Muchiko. From the tone of her voice, it sounded like she was pleading with her. I can't believe that she wasn't even paying attention to our advice.  
Harumi was holding Muchiko's wrists and gave her a headbutt. Muchiko was about to fall, but regained her balance. Another fall on the boardwalk meant another officer down.  
Muchiko stared at Harumi as she got up. She felt her nose to check that she wasn't bleeding. Then she started at Harumi, but her left eye took one glance at me and then glanced down at her left hand. I made a quick short nod to show her that I was following instructions. Her hand wiped off the invisible sweat from her forehead, as I saw her put up two fingers very quickly. No one saw this but me, which was good. Since the signal was used with her left hand, it meant that whatever she wanted was on the left side of her belt, two spaces from where I was holding it. I took it out and it looked as though it was glowing. The glow was a distraction to Harumi for only three seconds because the sun fully rose from the sky.  
"Hey, give it here," she said as she walked towards me. I didn't know whether to give it to her or shower it on myself. I quickly glanced at Muchiko for some direction, but she gave no gesture. I was getting scared. The more and more Harumi got closer to me, the more and more I actually heard the bomb tick away the seconds of my life. Damn, I don't even know what it was. I just opened the cork and threw it to where the thirty-nine officers were all stationed.  
"What the-," said Harumi.  
I didn't know what I was expecting to happen, but of course Muchiko knew what it was. The small area where the officers were trapped in began to shake.  
"Crap. That's not good," I said, with a chill through my spine.  
Harumi gave a small smile. Muchiko didn't look worried. I didn't know whether to panic because I made a fatal mistake, or to smile because Muchiko wasn't worried. The liquid spilled to the ground and cause the ground to shake. Harumi's face was from a smile to utter disappointment.  
"What the heck? The quake is not supposed to be this early," said Harumi.  
I was a bit more surprised that Harumi didn't even attempt to try and catch it. Probably was scared to not get any splinters of glass in her hands.  
"Hey what was that I just threw?" I asked.  
Muchiko remained silent for a few seconds, but then said, "Just you wait."  
The small shake began to stop. The cemented sand began to crack very violently through the thirty nine remaining officers.  
"All of you. Hang on," said Muchiko.  
The cracks began to open up and a hole emerged through the cemented sand. The officers began to hang on to the newly made cliff. I dropped the belt and ran to the officers to try and help, but Harumi grabbed me.  
She pulled out a knife and I froze.  
"Please don't chop my ear off," I said.  
"Just like Muchiko, you're a real fast learner," she said. "But I won't do something that harsh."  
The small quake stopped. A loud rush of water coming from the English Channel filled the hole.  
Muchiko ran towards her belt. A sound of gunfire was heard while Muchiko on her way to grab her belt. She took out a small jar that was covered in some form of paper bag and launched it at the watery open hole. Another gunshot was fired, knocking the belt off her hands.  
The jar contained lava, which devoured the water that was pouring in. I didn't know how Muchiko was able to take all of these items and hold them with no safety gloves. I really have to acknowledge her intelligence on that aspect, but there was no time for that.  
The officers were safe and had their guns trained pointing at either Harumi holding me, or Beatrice holding Larry. By the looks on their faces, they seemed as though they were trained to shoot at any angle. I could also tell that they could shoot between anyone's eyes.  
"If I were you Harumi, I would quit right now," I said.  
Harumi was staring transfixed at Muchiko.  
"How could you sis…YOU RUINED MY EARTHQUAKE!" said Harumi.  
"Really? Let me guess, in that specific area was some sort of 'earthquake making machine' and was destroyed simply by mixing water and lava? Wow Harumi, that was really pathetic," said Muchiko. "You're outnumbered. Unless your sniper up there has some sort of machine gun, she can't take out all of us at once. I suggest you surrender now."  
Harumi looked all around. The cops surrounded her. Beatrice was still holding on to Larry in that very "lock-on" hold which looked like he had no escape from.  
At least he stopped looking scared.  
Muchiko appeared to step a bit closer to Harumi, but Harumi would step back. If she thinks that we're taking a huge dive on the English Channel, then she must be out of her mind. However, she was the one with the knife in her hand. She could've ended me with one swipe through the neck, but surprisingly, chose not to. I wouldn't either if I was in that same situation. I didn't want the cops to start firing in my back. Getting shot in the spine, from what I heard, really hurts.  
"Tell me now Harumi. Who are you working for?" said Muchiko, in a rather persuasive tone. Muchiko wasn't scared and for once I was happy for her. She didn't show fear in her face, probably because I was in danger, and I was her only friend. Muchiko really had to let go of the fact that her sister didn't like her anymore and that she had to kick her ass. I wanted to help, but when someone has a knife aiming for your neck, you better do what she says. Especially, when that same exact person has killed numerous people and hasn't been caught.  
Then Muchiko stopped as she looked around. The sun was gleaming at her eye, but that was the least of her problems. She turned around as she clearly saw the sniper on the rooftop. It was hard to see her from where I was standing, but I knew it was Bianca. There was no mistaking those braids, even from where she was placed. Also, that would mean she survived Muchiko's big tidal wave back in Italy. If she was able to survive that, then I really don't think Natasha ever had a chance. Muchiko stood still, her right hand reaching for her pocket, probably thinking the same thing; thanks to her shocked facial expression. My guess was that she was reaching for one of her knives. Her arm accuracy better be perfect if she wanted to hit her mark. Bianca was roughly around two miles away and even she would've probably missed.  
I kept my eye on Harumi to see what she would've done next with me. I didn't want to pull a Rebecca on her and try to run to Muchiko. That would've been a disastrous thought. I remained calm, and so did Muchiko. Her back was towards me, but I could feel her calmness match those with the calmness of the morning wind. I made a small turn and looked at Larry. He was still calm, but his hands were starting to twitch. By the look of his eyes, he was ready to make a move and break away. I tried to calmly signal to Larry not to move at all. The advantage was on our side: there were thirty-nine cops; guns all aiming on Harumi's back. If I was Harumi, I would start to get nervous right now.  
She wasn't nervous at all.  
Oh wait…  
"Muchiko look out!" I screamed.  
She whirled around. Harumi turned from looking at me, to looking at Muchiko. That was the cue I needed. I elbowed her and began to run. For a split second, I took a glance at the roof area where Bianca was. A small puff of smoke was visible, and Harumi was running after me. That could've meant one thing.  
The missile that was launched exploded behind me. The remaining cops were gone.  
The explosion wasn't as big as the one that took down the helicopter, but it was still enough to cause emotional damage.  
Namely, to one officer in particular named Larry.  
I leaped towards Muchiko's arms. She grabbed me without hesitation and began to run, avoiding bullets shot by Bianca along the way. Harumi leaped towards me, but fell short.  
"Wait, what about Larry?" I exclaimed.  
Muchiko pointed in his direction. Beatrice shot him dead in the head and was aiming for us. Muchiko threw a knife in her direction which jammed the pistol. We ran inside the village, where the townspeople were already in a state of panic.  
"Quick, in here," said Muchiko to me, brushing me in an alleyway.  
My heart was racing, and it wasn't making the bomb ticking any more slowly. Muchiko looked as though she was trying to hide me from the huge panicked stricken crowd. Her face was filled with mixed emotions as she looked at me trying to recover. I don't know how I survived two near death experiences at once. Still, I felt as though I shouldn't been alive.  
"Hey are you alright? You got any scars on you?" asked Muchiko.  
I didn't even look at her. I was too frightened. I felt like giving up. All this traveling was leading us nowhere.  
"I'm fine," I said, still looking at the ground.  
"O.k good. Stay here and call up Julie and Anastasia. I'll be back o.k?"  
"Hey wait a second."  
"Trust me. I'll be back. Tell them to hurry."  
She gave me her cellphone and scurried off, while I was left with the daunting task of calling the rest of our party. I looked around to make sure I wasn't seen and then I dialed the number. Anastasia answered.  
"Yes?" she said, her tone of voice sounding very tired.  
"Ummm hi. How are you?" I said. I didn't know what to say. Then I slightly remembered what Muchiko told me to tell them. "Can you girls come over here right now?"  
"Why? Cherbourg is too far. How about we just meet up halfway?"  
"I don't think Muchiko would approve of that. She just left me here in an alleyway."  
"Gosh. Are you o.k?"  
"Kind of. More people are dead, but the good thing is that we stopped the earthquake."  
"Really? How did you two manage to do that?"  
"There was a machine underground. A simple lava-type substance melted it before it was even started by Harumi."  
"That's good. At least France is safe."  
"So, you girls think you can make it here?"  
"Well, not the same speed as Muchiko, but we'll try."  
"O.k. I'll try and find Muchiko and I'll see if we can meet somewhere else closer. I'll call you back."  
"Cool. I'll go get Julie."  
She didn't hang up the phone. There was a small pause on the other side followed by the sound of nervous breathing.  
"Ana? What is it?" I asked.  
"Did you find out anything about….Natasha?"  
"No. I tried to ask her, but she avoided it like usual."  
"Oh. Well, o.k." Her tone was sadder than usual. "We will be waiting for your return call."  
"No problem."  
I hung up the phone and stared at the wall. My stomach was in pain once again. It was worse this time. Twenty two days left. I felt as though the timer was sped up. I sat down on the ground and almost began to cry. If Jessie was with me, she would've told me to suck it up. That's really good sisterly advice.  
I got up, against my brain's wishes, and went back to the beach area. The difference this time was the random ambulance sitting there, a huge crowd, and what looked like the army. I was busy trying to find Muchiko. The crowd just stood on their ground, not moving, and looking at the huge crater the rocket launcher made earlier, killing all of those cops. The cellphone in my pocket started to vibrate with a number that didn't look at all familiar. I took the call hoping that it was Natasha.  
"Hello?" I asked.  
"I told you to wait for me. I am situated in the building behind you. Meet me now," said Muchiko.  
"Sure sure."  
I wasn't surprised at all that it was Muchiko. Of course, it was her phone that she gave me after all. I got away from the crowd and ran to the building behind me which surprisingly, was abandoned. I jogged up the stairs, and saw that Muchiko was sitting down on the rooftop, fiddling with her belt.  
"Umm, are you o.k?" I said.  
She took out a rolled up sheet of paper and placed it on the ground.  
"Unroll this please," she asked.  
I did what I was told. It was a map of France.  
"What's this for?" I asked, confused.  
Muchiko stared at me. We were literally nose to nose with each other. I was a bit scared that she was going to kiss me; although I wouldn't mind if she did. It was her thing, and I do respect it. Instead she didn't. Small relief there.  
"Pretend you're Harumi," she started.  
"What? Why?"  
"Just pretend you're Harumi for a minute."  
For a minute, I would like to be anyone else other than Harumi. I stared at the map, waiting for any other instructions that Muchiko was going to throw at me.  
"O.k. What do you want me to do?" I asked.  
"Katherine, listen to me. Where would Harumi go: North or West?"  
"Huh? I'm not a mind reader. And besides, isn't she your sister? Why can't you figure it out?"  
"I'm not fond of maps. And yes, she is my sister. Unfortunately, me and her don't talk much so her way of life is constantly changing."  
Of course that made sense.  
So it wasn't a bad question to ask me. However, I didn't know where someone who I barely knew would try and escape to. North of France was the U.K and West of France was Spain. Both were awesome vacation spots and both of them would be places I would like to go to. I kept an eye on Muchiko to check and see if she was planning to secretly tackle me. She stayed looking at me, hoping that I found some sort of piece that was missing. I began to sweat. I looked up at the crowd. The ambulance was still there and so was the military. Muchiko gave a soft punch to my head.  
"Hey," I said.  
"Pay attention. Try and solve this," said Muchiko.  
I went back to looking at the map. There was nothing clicking on my head. I gave a sigh.  
"I see nothing," I said.  
"Katherine. Are you sure you don't see it?" said Muchiko.  
"See what?"  
"The answer."  
"Huh? What are you talking about?"  
I didn't know what Muchiko was talking about. Was it a puzzle of some sort? I kept looking at the map of France to see what I was missing. It was so frustrating.  
"O.k. You tell me," I said.  
Muchiko sighed.  
"You're really pathetic, you know that?" she said bluntly.  
"Huh? What was that about?" I said.  
"You're clueless. There's only one place she would've gone to."  
"Uhh, the U.K?"  
"Nope. She's in Spain; just with a three hour head start."  
"Spain? Are you sure about that?"  
"Yeah. So we must hurry."  
"Wait a second. I called Anastasia and Julie and I told them that we're going to meet up with them soon. Where are we going to meet them?"  
Muchiko thought for a moment. Her thinking got me nervous. I don't know accurate her guess was as to the whereabouts of Haumi, but since she's the only one who knew Harumi as much as anyone, I would rather take her advice than anyone else. But still, how did she come up with that guess?  
"We're heading to Pamplona, a city that's in Spain, near the border of France. Call them and tell them that we will meet there."  
"Good. How far is it?"  
"Really really far. That means we really need to travel far and really fast."  
"O.k. What about we use the car that got you here?"  
Suddenly, there was an explosion about two miles off the boardwalk.  
"Someone just tried to steal it; as shown by the explosion," said Muchiko.  
"Makes sense."  
Muchiko grabbed my hand as we ran downstairs outside of the building. She suddenly stopped as she slowly opened the wodden doorway.  
"Clear," she said and pulled my hand outside. I used my other hand to try and dial the number, but Muchiko was running really fast, that I couldn't even see the contact list.  
"Hey slow down!" I shouted.  
"I thought you like to run," said Muchiko.  
"Yeah I do, but I need to make this call remember?"  
We stopped near a church. I dialed the number. This time, Julie answered.  
"Kathy! Kathy! Where are you? You're missing a party!" said Julie, really happily.  
"Hey pack your stuff. We're heading to Pamplona in Spain."  
"Pamplona? What? Are you serious?"  
"What? That's where we're headed."  
"Uhhh, Katherine. Do you know what that place is most famous for?"  
I was starting to feel really upset that many people knew a whole lot more about countries than I did.  
"Umm, no," I responded.  
Julie gave a long sigh. "Does the festival 'running of the bulls' sound familiar?"  
"Oh shit."  
"I'll tell Anastasia to get ready. Try and not get killed before we arrive. It's closer to us than you girls are."  
"O.k."  
I felt my heart sink down to my stomach. Muchiko looked at me as though she was waiting for the restroom in an impatient manner. I had an odd feeling that she had this route planned already, so I grabbed her collar.  
"Hey, what's the big idea? Was the phone call really that bad?" she said.  
"You knew she was going to end up in Spain this whole time didn't you? You know, that could've saved me a whole lot of stress if you just told me instead of playing your stupid 'Where's Waldo' guessing game," I said.  
"Well, that was a lot of fun."  
"Fun? I don't call that fun at all."  
"Relax relax alright? Also, it's pretty obvious as to why she's heading over there in the first place."  
When someone tells me a sentence that resulted in an answer I should've figured out minutes ago, I always feel really stupid and really empty. Also, most of the answers were depressing and really hit my brain hard.  
"Well why?" I asked.  
"Nevermind that. Forget I mentioned it."  
Great. Now she won't even tell me what the reason is. I wasn't even going to bother begging Muchiko for the answer. I might as well find out the reason when we get there. What bothered me, is Muchiko's guess of Spain.  
"But, how do we know…we really know…that Harumi is in Spain? Maybe she's about to ambush us with a bunch of Bulls."  
"Bunch…of…Bulls?" said Muchiko surprisingly.  
"Yeah. Pamplona is the area where they have the traditional 'Running of the Bulls' festival. Julie was the one who just told me."  
"I thought…I thought that was in Barcelona."  
"Nope."  
"Dang it. Now we really have to get moving. Do you recall the date of this so-called festival?"  
"I'm not sure, but my guess is not at this actual time."  
Muchiko now looked really concerned. There was something that she wasn't telling me. Now it was time to at least look for something either with wheels, or with a sail. It made perfect sense, but now from the view of the random military that was stationed there near the beach area, the harbor was closed. It was good that now the military was looking for Harumi, but that was our target terrorist. I know that they wanted to help, but they were doing more harm than good in helping. Their health was on the line, and I didn't want to see anyone else dead.  
I looked at Muchiko as hard as I could; hoping to read some info off her face, but it wasn't easy. Her face was cold and there was no outcry of emotion. It was as if she made a huge mistake and there was nothing she could do to change it. There was an attempt to shed tears from her, but nothing came out of her eyes.  
"Muchy, are you o.k?" I asked.  
"You almost died in front of my eyes," said Muchiko. "I can't stand something like that happen to you."  
"Hey, at least I'm o.k. By the way, why are we standing here? Shouldn't we be on our way?"  
I hit her on her elbow. It snapped her out of her trance.  
"Oh. Well then let's move," said Muchiko.  
Finally it got her moving. I was almost worried that she was stuck like that for a long time. Then of course, there was the whole "how do we get to Pamplona" situation. I considered Muchiko to be the brains behind the transportation area, but it was really tough to find one. Then Muchiko eyed something I was hoping she wasn't trying her luck on stealing.  
"Are you crazy? We are not stealing that army jeep," I said.  
"Either that, or we're stuck here. It's your choice. Also, it's the only mode of transportation around here. Believe me when I say that I don't feel like walking," said Muchiko.  
She's got a point there. Walking would've been way too far. Not even my premise at jogging would've been enough to cover the whole area between Cherbourg and Pamplona. The only problem was trying to get the jeep in the first place. It has already been justified that I'm no good at stealth missions. So if she thinks she can trick me into getting the jeep for her, then she's got another thing coming. As we headed behind the huge crowd, Muchiko tapped me on the shoulder.  
"O.k. Here's the plan," said Muchiko. "You're going to create a distraction and try to divert the army to the right side, while I get the jeep." She had that confident smile, as though she could've done this blindfolded.  
"No way," I argued. "How about you distract them while I get the jeep?"  
It was sure to work. Since Muchiko had all of these gadgets with her, of course it was sure to work. There was one obstacle that I wasn't thinking of.  
"Do you actually know how to drive?" she said to me.  
That was the one obstacle.  
"Well, I can actually try," I said.  
"No way. That would resolve in so many accidents," she said, being the smarter of the two of us. Then I realized something that she could've used in order to make our transportation situation  
even easier; it also signified something I've noticed way before Muchiko did. "What about your smoke screen bombs?" I suggested.  
Muchiko looked at me in defeat. "O.k fine, but I don't know whether I have something strong for a crowd like this."  
"Where are they placed?"  
"Here, on the left side of my belt."  
She pointed to and opened a pocket which was grey inside. Now I know how she deciphers each item into use. Although if I was her, I would've tried and label them from the outside. That way, I'll know what I'm doing and my enemies would be scared to death as to the items that I would carry. I'm sure that at least forty five percent of the world would see a chemistry compound and think it's very deadly; unless it has to do with water, then sometimes it would be worse.  
I took two tubes.  
"Hey are you crazy?" said Muchiko.  
"What? So it's not cool that I make a nuclear smoke bomb for our escape," I said. Of course it may not work. This was the military of all people, so they wouldn't probably fall for something this novice of a trick. Also, this was done by a girl with a white dress. So, in a possible lineup, Muchiko would be caught in about five minutes.  
The difference in this situation is that Muchiko was no novice.  
I took two of them and snuck away from Muchiko. I ran to a nearby army barricade, opened the corks and threw them. One army officer in particular tried to shoot it, thinking it was some sort of fail-safe device. Man, those idiots.  
The smoke exploded. Combined with two of them, now I know why Muchiko warned me not to overdo it. It was that kind of smoke that you would see in fires. You could really get Carbon Monoxide poisoning in a matter of seconds. It put me in shock that my jaw dropped so wide as to swallow almost enough smoke to kill me. I kept coughing, trying my best to survive. Then I started to feel dizzy. Great, not again.  
I kept staggering forward until I realized that the English Channel was up ahead. If I fell, it would mean my death. I felt someone grab me from behind. I tried to shoo the person away, when I realized it was Muchiko. She couldn't talk, which was obvious since she was covering her nose with her sleeve. She dragged me with her free arm, and surprisingly, into a jeep. My dizziness was still strong as I collapsed into the passenger's side. I felt the jeep move, but it was already too late to hold my breath, so I just kept coughing hoping that all of the evil particles would've left my body. I barely had my eyes open, but I could clearly see Muchiko; white dress among all of that black smoke trying her best to drive. I stayed calm, hoping to get some fresh air. Muchiko drove through a small opening of blue sky. The moment there was some visible blue sky present; she threw a map in my face.  
"Hey, navigate," she said.  
It felt like I was asleep, and then woken up to some sort of alarm.  
"Don't shove maps on my face," I said, tiredly, and then coughing.  
Gunshots rang out. Taking a military jeep without permission was surely going to get us marked for death. If they wanted someone dead, go ahead and shoot Muchiko, but leave me out of it.  
I looked at the map in which Muchiko showed me earlier. I couldn't concentrate on even looking at the map, since I was too busy coughing and ducking under my seat.  
"So where am I going?" said Muchiko. I kept looking away, still coughing and dizzy. Muchiko kept trying to make me turn around.  
"Hey Kathy you o.k? Are you injured? Are you shot?" she asked.  
I kept not paying attention. She tried to grab my arm, when I just flung it away.  
"What the hell's wrong with you?" she said.  
"What do you think is wrong with me? We're heading face first into a death trap, you obviously don't care about how I'm feeling, and WE STILL DON'T KNOW IF NATASHA'S ALIVE!"  
Muchiko frowned. "I know that's what you're mostly worried about."  
"Well why don't you do something about it."  
"No problem, short stuff. If you help me with the map, then we'll see about where Natasha is. I'm extremely confident that she's still alive."  
"Hey, I'm not short. I'm built close to the ground for speed and accuracy."  
That was something Jessie said about me which I took into heart. I turned and saw that Muchiko had a small confident smile. That was something I really liked seeing from her.  
We went past a town called Carenfan. As soon as we left the town, however, there was a car crash on the side of the road and a scream for help.  
"Should we go investigate?" I said.  
"Sure, why not. Hopefully there's some food inside," said Muchiko.  
I got out of the jeep. "How in the world do you even think of food at a time like this? The person could be dead right not."  
"Really? Then why do I hear breathing?"  
She was right. There was someone inside. Someone with glasses.  
"Isn't that one of Julie's friends?" said Muchiko.  
I did recognize the person.  
"It's B.B," I said.  
B.B looked as though she was stabbed. She was holding the side of her rib.  
"Are you o.k.?" I said.  
She looked towards us really slowly.  
"Huh? I remember you two. Is Julie o.k? Where is she?" she said.  
"Yes yes she is o.k. C'mon. Let me help you."  
Muchiko wasn't even going to try and help me. She was too busy staring at the beaten up Beetle that contained B.B.  
"Hey, what's the matter?" I said to her.  
"Strange."  
"What is?"  
"Isn't it odd that we're the ones that help her and yet…" She turns to B.B. "How long have you been there?"  
"Probably like half an hour? Just that no one saw me."  
Now it was getting really creepy.  
"How did no one see you?" I asked, stupidly.  
"No one did. No police, no passing cars, not even an ambulance. It's like they're busy with something else," said B.B.  
Muchiko and I stared at each other slowly. "Uhhh, probably some fire of some sort," I said.  
I couldn't come clean and tell her the truth that we were involved in delaying her any help. She was in obvious pain already. I put her arm around my shoulder when Muchiko stopped me.  
"What is it?" I asked.  
"B.B. How did this happen to you?" said Muchiko.  
"Well, I was about to enter France to find Julie, when I received a call from a hospital. They were saying that Getty was involved in an auto accident."  
_"So that's who I saw heading to Grenoble," _I thought to myself.  
"Then I started to try and head for the hospital. As I headed inside, the whole building was filled with people who had leprosy. It was a very sickening display. I tried to find Getty, but then there were girls who were leaving and looked as though they were raiding the place. I tried to stop them, but was stopped from behind by a girl with a baseball cap."  
"Yes, my devilish sister Harumi," said Muchiko.  
"Well anyway. It was like some sort of cosplay group. All of them dressed up in these weird outfits. I overheard one of them say something about killing a Russian. A girl with braids."  
"Oh my God," I said in a faint whisper. "No way."  
I looked away from the two of them. I didn't want to think of what would've happened to Natasha. Now I was scared.  
"What else happened?" said Muchiko, oblivious to what was just heard.  
I took Muchiko by the collar. "Didn't you just hear what happened?"  
"You expect me to believe someone like Bianca?" she said in reply.  
I was about to answer, but then I heard a beeping sound.  
"What's that sound?" I asked.  
Please let that be my stomach.  
B.B looked around her totaled car. Her ankle was stuck on some sort of pipe. Muchiko tried to remove it, but her eyes turned big at the sudden appearance of something inside.  
"What what?" I said.  
"Back now!" screamed Muchiko.  
She tugged me away from B.B as we went across the highway into a ditch. Seconds later, the car exploded.  
"How did-" I said.  
"I must've triggered he bomb the second I moved it. Damn."  
"So now what?"  
"We press on."  
As we got back on the jeep, which was a good eight feet from the explosion, I started to wonder if Bianca was telling the truth. Besides that fact, there was one person who we had to look for; the last of Julie's friends named Melissa. I began to cry, thinking of Natasha. Muchiko petted my hair and said: "We'll get those bastards." I wpied my tears and felt a good sense of relief. I wanted Bianca to myself, and there was no stopping me.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

I was still troubled over the possible earthquake that was prevented. There was already a manhunt -sorry, women hunt- for the death of Harumi; I don't know why it took them so long. Also, only France seems to be doing it. I didn't know what trouble or what other deadly plan Harumi had in store for us in Spain, but I do know there was one more of Julie's friends that we had to rescue. Not that we knew them personally, but still, a good deed is a good deed.  
Muchiko kept the speed up to about sixty-five miles per hour. I couldn't read the speed limit sign on the highway. I read something interesting though in the map.  
"There's an airport nearby, in the city of Rennes," I said.  
"You're kidding me," she said.  
"No I see it here. We have to take the A 84 highway to the right. In case we get lost, there will be signs of course."  
"Oh geez. Well alright."  
"It's pretty far, but from the looks of the gas, I think we'll make it."  
"If the army dosen't get us first."  
"True."  
It was only a matter of time when they would track us down. I mean, there were cars honking at us from every which way, looking as confused as I was that there wasn't someone with a camouflage wearing suit commandeering the jeep. I kept looking behind us to see any type of military presence following us. There was none.  
"I guess the black smoke did the trick Muchiko," I said.  
"Don't count your eggs before they hatch Kathy. We're not through the fire just yet."  
She pointed to a blockade up ahead near the town of Saint-Lô. There were two tanks blocking the highway.  
"I assume you got some tank repellent in that belt of yours," I said, as a joke. Muchiko of course, took it seriously. "Can you not kid around here? I'm trying to think."  
"Unfortunately, Larry isn't here to call these guys off," I said.  
"There's a difference when a cop calls off something and someone from the military does it."  
"Good point."  
Muchiko stopped the jeep about two miles away from the blockade. I could sense something didn't seem right in her attitude. Normally, she would be the one to head rush through everything. She was calmer than usual this time.  
A voice over a megaphone shouted: "Don't move or else we'll fire!"  
"Great," I said, slowly putting my hands up. "What are we going to do?"  
"First off, we're farther away from them. So it's all about timing from these guys."  
I took a quick glance over my shoulder. "What about them?"  
Muchiko whirled around. There were more jeeps and others with guns behind us.  
"Damn, they probably think we were with Harumi while making that escape."  
"Probably figured that much since you stole their jeep," I said.  
"Don't make fun. And I know a way out of this."  
"Oh I can't wait to hear this."  
She gave me a pill which looked like the one she gave me while we were crossing the North Sea all the way to Germany. Then she took out the same type of smoke tubes that she had earlier. I knew where this was going. This one I knew I could figure out on my own.  
She was about to either gas them to death, or make another escape regarding smoke. I sure hope this was going to work.  
"Ready for it?" she said to me.  
I didn't know how to respond to that one. I was never ready for anything Muchiko was about to throw at me, much less throw at others. I slowly nodded while Muchiko slowly put her hand on her belt. I wasn't sure how quick Muchiko's hands were, but if they were quick enough to stop a bullet, then I was ready to be impressed. I held Muchiko tightly around her waist.  
"Please don't let me die alright?" I said.  
Muchiko kissed me on the forehead. "Don't worry. Have faith. Nothing bad will happen."  
With that she took out a capsule, swallowed it, her free hand grabbing a knife, and her hand holding to a smoke tube. She threw the tube at the officers, as they were about to shoot. It exploded into a puff of smoke.  
As soon as it exploded, I swallowed my pill. "Now what?" I said.  
"Back on the jeep," she said.  
"Wait, what about the barricade on the front?"  
"Hopefully it worked as a diversion so they can release the blockade."  
"I don't think they're idiots Muchiko."  
As Muchiko made it seem, she was right. Although we were all covered in black smoke, I could plainly see that the drivers of the two tanks got out, followed by the rest of the patrol. The others who were trapped in the smoke behind us began to fire. I ran out of the fog and into the jeep. I pushed the gas pedal and began to drive; of course with my limited knowledge of driving, I was already scared of going off the road. Muchiko leaped on the back of the jeep, and completely scared me to death.  
"DON'T DO THAT! I'm already trying my best to steer this machine," I said.  
"Out of the way!" said Muchiko.  
She shoved me back to the passenger seat, since I didn't know what I was doing. I stayed ducking under my seat as we were heading head on to machine gun fire. I was busy praying under the seat while Muchiko was about to turn off the road into a grassy area.  
"Now you sure you don't want a gun?" I said.  
"It's still no. Can we talk about this later? I'm busy driving as you can see," said Muchiko.  
"O.k. O.k. Just don't get us killed."  
Muchiko gave a laugh. I was still looking at the floor of the jeep as the sound of bullets whizzed by my hair. I kept praying and hoping that none of them goes inside my head. Then I felt the jeep go up a ramp. I gave a small peek as we were in the clear.  
"Is it over?" I said.  
"Turn around and you tell me," said Muchiko.  
"Umm sure."  
Closing my eyes, I turned around. I opened my eyes to now see a chopper gliding above us, followed on the highway by more police cars. If this was any indication, or rather a sign saying "more danger ahead", then I really hope that Muchiko wasn't the giving up type. I know she wasn't, but it wouldn't help if she was.  
"You seem rather tense there," said Muchiko.  
"Tense? There's a helicopter and a bunch of cop cars chasing us. I think that's a reason to get tense."  
"Loosen up will ya?"  
"Listen. We're not making an escape by falling off a cliff. There has to be another way to tell them that we're innocent."  
"A cliff? You watch too much movies."  
There was a road sign that said we were close to the airport. Muchiko cranked up the miles per hour to near eighty.  
"What were you saying earlier about jumping off a cliff?" said Muchiko. I didn't know what she was talking about until I saw the runway off a gate to the right of us. It was placed on a steep hill. Muchiko made a hard quick turn that broke the fence, and we were launched many feet into the air. Now it was the question of which plane went to Spain.  
"Where do we go?" I said.  
Muchiko quickly turned around, and saw that the cops were still on our tail. Soon, air traffic control would notice a military jeep on the runway and would do whatever means necessary to try and stop us from getting a free ride.  
"Look, there's an Aer Lingus airplane. It's our only shot," said Muchiko.  
"What if they're heading somewhere else?" I said.  
"Well, we have to take a chance of course won't we?"  
I simply nodded. Now there was the obvious fact of hiding from the air traffic controller, the police cars, and of course the helicopter. Muchiko parked it near a grassy bush.  
"Take a deep breath and remember: it's the daytime, so there won't be any spotlight shining on us. And since you know how to run, you're going to be the one to lead me into the plane," said Muchiko.  
I didn't know how to react to that. "I really don't know where to run."  
"Over there. By the tires."  
I got off the jeep and checked to see if the coast was clear. To see the police heading inside the airport and stop the planes from leaving wasn't clearly a good sign. Muchiko was behind me.  
"Whenever you're ready," she said and lifted herself on my back.  
"Hey what's your problem?" I said.  
"I can't run as good as you. So of course the smart way is for you to carry me," said Muchiko. "Don't worry, I don't weigh much."  
"Easy for you to say."  
"And try not to slow down."  
I now had the pleasure to try and carry little miss Lolita princess to the tires of an airplane. She didn't even try and tell me what the rest of the plan was. She was right on one thing: she didn't weigh much at all. I knew the customary rule of not asking a girl her weight in question; my guess was probably one twenty five. That would make her at least thiry pounds less than Jessie. I lifted Jessie up once. I had back spasms for four days. It's really painful when your older sister twists your back muscles in an awkward motion.  
There were baggage carts all over the place. The airplane was already going to the runway.  
"Go horse go!" said Muchiko, yanking my collar.  
I felt really offended, but there was nothing I could do about it.  
"On three," I said.  
"Okay….three!" shouted Muchiko.  
I ran out of the bush. The entire police force that chased us started to shoot. I never raced against bullets in school before, so this was going to be very difficult.  
The worse of the run was the stomach pain I endured.  
"Stomach pain!" I shouted out.  
"Now?" said Muchiko.  
"Yeah. I'm starting to get leg cramps."  
"Fight it alright? I believe they told you that in school."  
They always said that to the class while training for some sort of competition. I was the one always stretching my legs. I remember Rebecca-  
That one word. That one word that made me kept going in anything. My best friend, who was always the one to give me hugs, and of course her homework whenever I needed it. After thinking about my friend in a very heartwarming way, I gained super speed. I began to run faster and got on the tire. Muchiko hoisted herself up, but didn't even bother to lift me up.  
"Hey are you crazy?" I said.  
"I know you can run up here by yourself," said Muchiko. "You can do it."  
"Against a freaking plane?"  
I made a quick glance behind me. About five police cars were already on the tail of the plane. I kept rushing and fighting the pain on my stomach. Muchiko, clamped on the plane, looked as though she was trying to keep me out of it.  
"C'mon Muchiko make room," I cried out.  
"No! Unless you prove to me that you're willing to do this for your dead friend Rebecca, then you're willing to try and save me from falling off this airplane."  
"Huh? What are you talking about?"  
Muchiko began to dangle off the huge tire upside down. Her legs were barely hanging onto the wheel. Then I realized that this whole thing was about that dream I had back in Corsica. Rebecca, literally begging me to be a leader. This was what Muchiko wanted me to do. If I could bring myself onto the wheel of a moving airplane, then I could probably do almost anything. I ran quicker and leaped. Muchiko grabbed my hand.  
"So, how's that for being a leader," I said.  
"Meh, I was just messing with you," said Muchiko. "It was pretty funny."  
I wanted to smack her upside her head, but that would prove difficult if your holding on to something very valuable like an airplane tire. So I held on, even still the police cars were chasing us. I was more surprised that they didn't stop the plane.  
"Why aren't they stopping?" I said.  
"Because we're about to takeoff," said Muchiko.  
"What? Right now?"  
Sure enough, I felt the airplane start to lift us off the ground. My palm started to slip away from the tire. Muchiko held my wrist as the tires were off the ground as we entered the plane. We got inside the Wheel Well. There were many machines and there was a metal pole right on top of me. Muchiko carried me into a corner.  
"How do we get inside the plane?" I said.  
"Huh? What are you talking about? We're fine right here," said Muchiko.  
"I want to sit on those comfortable seats on the plane."  
"Go ahead and try to go upstairs without a ticket. I'll time how quickly you get thrown out of the plane…again."  
She was right, but I really had to try and get upstairs. I didn't have any type of seating luxury in a long while.  
"Are you going to stay here?" I said to Muchiko.  
Muchiko sneezed. "I'm safe here, but I don't think you'll be safe up there."  
"We'll see about that."  
"I suggest you stay here."  
The airplane was already starting to feel turbulence. I slipped and fell in the metal floor beneath me. My chin had a small bruise.  
"You wouldn't happen to have any bandages inside one of those pockets do you?" I said.  
Muchiko looked at my bruise very closely. She wiped it off with a small napkin. I didn't realize it at first, but I suddenly kissed her nose. Of course, it was only reserved as a thank you, nothing more. Muchiko smiled. After the turbulence stopped, I straightened up and proceeded to head on some stairs. I turned around.  
"You're staying behing?" I said to her.  
"Well, I have to make sure we're on the right airplane."  
"I could just ask someone."  
"Be careful."  
"But I wanted you to go with me."  
"Why?"  
"I sometimes feel safe with you around."  
"Then stay here with me."  
"I don't feel comfortable being in an area like this with so much machinery. It feels like something is going to come alive and attack me."  
"Man, you really are such a baby."  
"Huh? No I'm not."  
"You just proved it right now. You wouldn't go upstairs without me. You simply can't do anything yourself now, can't you? What happened to your inspiration? Remember a few moments ago, running to the side of a plane. How did you get that burst of speed earlier?"  
She was right. I stepped back off the stairs and went back to her side. Muchiko put her arms around me in a well placed matched and figurative hug.  
"I'm sorry about making fun of you in that manner. It wasn't my intention," said Muchiko.  
She seemed as though she was bothered by the events as well as I was. Here I am, with someone who was dying to kiss me, in the Wheel Well section, heading to who knows where. I had a weird thought as I looked around in the room. It was something that was pretty obvious, even to someone as thick headed as Muchiko.  
"Say umm, suppose we don't arrive in Spain and we needed to get out in case of an extreme emergency. How are we supposed to get down?" I asked.  
Muchiko released the hug and looked around as well. "I think I have an idea."  
"Please don't tell me you're going to try and fly the plane by yourself. One of my wishes for my birthday eight years ago was no more hijackings."  
"Relax. I'm not that extreme."  
"Well, your belt says otherwise."  
"I know. It's so awesome."  
"Be that as it may, what are you planning to do?"  
Muchiko took out her knife, but then stopped.  
"No. It would be too risky."  
"What is?" I said.  
"If we fall, there's zero chance we will land in a body of water."  
I don't know what Muchiko's plan would consist of, but in a room filled of machines, there was nothing that would consist of falling down safely. I had an idea.  
"Isn't there a way to peek outside and see where we are?" I asked.  
"Sounds like a plan. The only problem I have with that is: there wasn't any good chance any one of us was paying attention to the direction of the plane and where it's heading," said Muchiko. "This plane could go all of the way back to Switzerland."  
"Well, there has to be a way."  
I walked back and forth, thinking of a way to peek outside. The sections where the tires rose were closed until it was time to land. I've been in planes to realize how windy it is outside and how high up we were willing to fly. I took a deep breath and snatched the knife away from Muchiko. She didn't even try and fight for her knife. I cut up the floor of the plane, as Muchiko started to step back. It was very difficult. What's even more difficult was that Muchiko wasn't saying a word of protest. She looked really scared and began to grab the back of my collar. The knife tore open the floor and fell through the hole, as I felt the huge rush of wind sucking me outside like a vacuum. I hoped Muchiko remembered my fear of heights.  
"Hang on," screamed Muchiko.  
I couldn't see any sort of towns of any kind only clouds. In addition to that, the wind made the bones inside of me really cold. It looked as though we were at least thirty thousand feet.  
Muchiko, still hanging on to me, began to speak, but I couldn't understand what she was saying.  
"What? I can't hear you." I began to shake my head, pointing to my ear, showing the signal that I couldn't hear her. Muchiko began to pull me back inside, but the wind was pulling me out. It was a tug of war: Muchiko against the wind. By the feel of the wind, it looked as though Muchiko would lose. She kept hanging on to me, while I felt the plane desend very quickly. I guess the tear that I made actually made the plane really angry. For something that weighed more than one hundred eighty thousand pounds, that was an object I didn't want to get angry at me.  
The desent of the plane would've favored Muchiko in the sense that the plane was getting pulled in her direction. The wind, however, had two advantages that made it win: The unexpected stomach pain from the bomb and that I tripped backwards on my own shoelace.  
Now that was real bad luck.  
Muchiko's grip slipped away, as I was taken outside. The plane's view felt really distant. I turned around and saw that I was falling pretty quickly. I couldn't scream or get worried. If Muchiko couldn't find anything soon, it was all over. My fear took over so much that I couldn't speak. My voicebox felt as though it was clogged, which was why I couldn't scream. I turned around, and saw a small glimpse of Muchiko coming towards me. I extended my hands to reach her. She came into my hands within seconds.  
"We'll be fine, alright?" she said into my right ear and covered my ears with her hands really tightly. I guess that was a safety concern.  
I grabbed Muchiko and held on to her, as she suddenly kissed me. I felt completely warm inside afterwards, but I still couldn't believe she did that. I couldn't say a word after all, as she let go of the kiss. It was something out of desperation I figured, but it was really sweet. She looked at me, and since her hands were covering my ears, her face motioned me to turn around. Muchiko slowly turned me, as we were diving head first into a river.  
Here we go again.  
She slowly let go of my ears. "Ready?" she said.  
"I might as well be," I said. I obviously didn't have a choice in that matter.  
"On three."  
"O.k."  
"Ready?"  
"Yeah."  
I was about to count, until she held my nose closed and said, "three!" We dived in together, with my eyes completely closed. Muchiko didn't hold my nose tight enough, which was a problem since water began to seep in. I waved my arms around, struggling to breathe, until I felt a force take me to the surface of the water. I coughed and began to breathe again as I tried desperately to swim and reach land. I raced Muchiko to the river bank. There was an abandoned farmhouse nearby. It was a hefty climb to the top of the wall that surrounded the river. With the help of Muchiko, she lifted me on her shoulders. I was able to reach it; surprisingly with my stature. Then I lifted Muchiko up. Seeing that I already had experience carrying Muchiko, it was easy. Even when wet, she still weighed the same.  
The moment I saw a patch of green grass, I collapsed on it. Muchiko lied down next to me, but I moved three inches away from her. She probably thought of trying something else daring, but I wouldn't fall for it.  
"Do you know where we are?" she said.  
"How should I know? I felt like I just woke up."  
I finally pulled myself together and got up. Drenching wet, the sun was shining right on top of me. I didn't see anyone and I was afraid that if I called out to someone, then there's going to be a huge scramble to find us. The only way to be sure if that would happen is to still be in France. Muchiko slowly got up and also looked at the surrounding area.  
"This place still looks colonial. Don't' you agree Katherine?" she said.  
She reached for her pocket and took out her cellphone. It was wet and damaged beyond repair. She launched it very high in the air, as it splashed in the river.  
"Sorry," I said.  
"Meh, it's alright."  
"Wait, how are we going to contact Julie and Anastasia? We got no phone now."  
"We don't need a phone to contact them, silly Katherine. You clearly said that we will meet them at Pamplona right?"  
"Yeah, but how do we know we're in Spain? I don't keep a million maps you know."  
"There's a sign there that looks clearly written in Spanish."  
She pointed behind me. There was a sign that said, _"No acceder a la casa de campo"_ which, from my limited knowledge of Spanish was translated to, "Do not trespass on the farmhouse."Well that was a huge relief to see. At least we knew we were in the right country. I gave Muchiko a hug.  
"Yes, we did it!" I said.  
"No, you did it. You're the one who cut us free," said Muchiko.  
"Well gee thanks."  
I released the hug very relieved.  
"So where do we go from here?" said Muchiko.  
That was a head scratcher. There was no sign or map that I can use. Only a small road that led uphill.  
"Probably up that hill," I said.  
"I was probably thinking that same thing."  
We went up the hill, in which I realized that I began to sweat. I knew it wasn't the water or anything strange on of that matter. It was so hot. Muchiko was also sweating, but it looked as though she was cooling off.  
"Hey, how is it, that your o.k and not hot all of a sudden?" I said.  
"What are you talking about? I'm sweating like a pig here," said Muchiko.  
"No you're not."  
I could clearly see that she was cooling off. I was just looking at her and I could see that her sweats were disappearing. What a crazy liar.  
We reached the hill and saw a road with cars passing by.  
"I don't think this is a place to hitchhike," I said.  
"Hey, you're the one who knows Spanish," said Muchiko. "I expect you to get us through here and to lead us to Pamplona."  
"We got no money remember?"  
Muchiko looked shocked at me. "When did this happen?"  
I shook my head. "Nevermind. We'll think of something."  
Muchiko began to run. I didn't know she had energy enough to make a pass run at me. After falling from a plane, I'm worn out. Not Muchiko however. She's the type of person who hyper and full of beans.  
Bad comparison.  
I ran close to her to catch up. I took a quick glance at my watch and saw that it was two in the afternoon. Just wonderful, it looked as though it was still early in the morning.  
Muchiko stopped on the side of the road. I caught up and grabbed her shoulder.  
"You just don't run off like that without permission, understand?" I said.  
"We're on a time limit here. You're the translator o.k?" said Muchiko.  
"Why? What are you going to do?"  
I just had to ask. Muchiko took one look to the left in the direction of the traffic and stopped a nearby car. She then threw the driver without saying anything. I ran and jumped through the passenger seat window. Muchiko pulled the shifting stick to the left and we were off.  
"Hey sit up. Your job is to read the signs. And put on your seatbelt," said Muchiko.  
"You know," I said as I was putting on my seatbelt. "You could've apologized to him."  
"Sorry, but it was an emergency. Saying an apology takes at least four seconds of your time. That time is too precious to me."  
I didn't even understand what she was trying to say. Muchiko can be really confusing many times, but my mind was still focused on the kiss before we almost died. I didn't someone like Muchiko really cared about me that much. I looked up to see a sign.  
"Look, Pamplona is only ten miles away," I said.  
Muchiko sped up the car up to near ninety miles per hour.  
"Hey relax, you're going to get pulled over," I said.  
"Screw the law! My sister breaks the law every day, but you don't see her getting caught now do you?" said Muchiko in anger.  
"You got a good point."  
She kept the speed and started going by cars. I was shaking nervously, hoping not to die, and hopefully surviving enough to save the girl named Melissa. I really hoped that Julie and Anastasia would get here quicker than we did.  
Muchiko kept on driving. She looked bloodshot and really sleepy.  
"You need rest Muchiko," I said.  
"Hey I'm fine and I'm alive. No rest for me, you understand?"  
"Well you better slow down."  
"What, and waste time?"  
"No, up ahead. SLOW DOWN!"  
She looked up ahead and hit the brakes. There were animals on the road: rabbits, horses,foxes,and bears….two of each if I may add, and caused the traffic to be on a standstill.  
"Wanna take a guess as to who made this happen?" I said.  
Muchiko slammed her fist to the car, cursed and honked her horn. I simply sighed.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Great. Now how are we supposed to get by," I said. "We got bumper to bumper traffic and now there are animals on the road."  
Muchiko stared at the animals angrily; her face looked as though she wanted to race them. Her hands were tightened on the steering wheel. She was constantly stepping on the gas.  
"Hey hey wait a second. What are you doing?" I said.  
"Which one of those animals is the weakest?" said Muchiko.  
"Uhh, my guess is the rabbit. But what's the problem?"  
"Then please forgive me."  
She turned the car to the left away from the traffic and drove right by the animal blockade. I couldn't see what happened, but I felt an odd bump.  
"Did…did you just run over a rabbit?" I said. "You could've used any other method to get by the animals, but you…ran over a rabbit?"  
"It had to be done."  
"No it didn't."  
I turned around. Sure enough there's the rabbit, squashed into the ground. It was an eerie sight to witness. I have never seen an animal killed in any way, shape, or form. Muchiko would go at great lengths to try and stop someone; even if that means running over a helpless animal to do so. I began to cry. Muchiko petted my head. I brushed her hand aside.  
"Leave me alone."  
"What's the problem?" she said.  
"What's the problem? I'll tell you what the problem is: your ego and arrogance. I understand that you're trying to get rid of your maniacal sister, but you didn't have to kill a rabbit to do so. We could've just gotten out of the car, moved them safely, and kept on driving. But no, you decided to use brute force that goes ninety miles per hour."  
Muchiko was in complete silence. No whispering, no blinking, not even a breath. She knew I was right, and obviously there was no turning back. I would've kept the rabbit as a pet, just like I did with a parrot and horse back in Russia. I felt bad for ambushing her in anger.  
"Sorry. I know we have more things to worry about than some quarrel," I said.  
"That's better," was Muchiko's only reply.  
There was silence throughout the remainder of the car trip until we arrived at the town of Pamplona. It looked like an old colonial village. Like all of the towns that we visited, they looked uneasy to see us arrive. Things were already heading in the wrong direction when one of the townspeople threw a tomato at our stolen car. Muchiko kept on driving.  
"What are they saying?" she said.  
"Sounds like they're trying to get rid of us."  
"How wonderful."  
By my opinion, they were pretty steamed at the sight of Muchiko. As more and more days went by, the more she looked almost like Harumi's twin. Thatwas really interesting due to the fact that they looked nothing like each other in the first place. When I first met Muchiko, she was much darker and wanted to be alone. Now she's becoming the one thing she dosen't want to be: her sister. I know that she wanted to do all of the right things to ensure our safety and the safety of the one person that was missing from Julie's military female group, Melissa, but in reality, I was the only one who was thinking of the positive outlook upon our arrival into Pamplona, Spain. I shut my eyes to relax my senses, seeing as though I was thinking too hard about the situation. I felt the car stop and a knock on the windshield woke me from my very short map.  
"Julie!" I said.  
"You seem happy to see us? What took you guys so long?" said Anastasia, eating an ice cream.  
"There were just some animals on the road. Nothing unusual about that, obviously."  
Muchiko got out of the car as I took a good look at where we stopped. There was already a big crowd following us. I gave Julie a hug as I turned to Muchiko.  
"Where are we?"  
"If I'm right about this place, then Harumi should be nearby," said Muchiko.  
I scanned the building. A small sign was placed on the top that said, _"Elprimer punto de lacorrida de toros"_whichwastranlsatedto, "Thefirstpoint of therunning of thebulls".  
"I guessthisistheright place," I said.  
I turned to look at the crowd of townspeople. They walked away and continued on with their lives as if nothing happened.  
"How did you guys get here?" said Muchiko.  
"Well, there was traffic, but I had to turn back because I heard that the hospital Getty was staying in exploded," said Julie.  
"I know," I said.  
"Wait, how you knew that?"  
"I heard it from B.B on the side of the road in France. Her car was blown up."  
"What?"  
"Yeah."  
"O.k o.k. Now this is getting weird. This Harumi fellow dosen't know anything about my friends, and yet she's picking them off."  
"Then, is one of us a spy?" said Anastasia.  
"I'm afraid so. Unless Katherine, your bomb is also atracking device, then one of us is a cold traitor."  
Muchiko eyed all of us suspiciously. I stared at her very nervously. It was really odd that Harumi actually was one step ahead of us. We all thought Natasha was a traitor at first, but that was before the bomb was implanted on me. So, could it have been planted on me when Rebecca was turned into salt? That was the only logical explanation I could think of at the moment. I didn't want Muchiko staring at me with those blue eyes of hers. Those are really scary.  
"Girls, can we talk about this later? We got some sightseeing to do," I said, in hopes of relieving the tension off from my team.  
Anastasia wasn't buying it at all. "You seem rather jumpy today."  
"Hey we got through a traffic jam of animals. It wasn't that bad, but Muchikoran over a rabbit. I am really not in a good mood."  
"Muchiko are you crazy? They bring good luck!" said Julie.  
"No, that's a rabbit's foot," said Muchiko.  
"Well, same thing."  
"Can't we just go sightseeing, please?" I said.  
Muchiko gave a look around. "I think we're safe here."  
"I don't think so. Julie, tell them what happened to us," said Anastasia.  
"Huh? Oh yeah, that."  
Muchiko kept looking behind us expecting someone to yell "surprise" while Julie spoke. Anastasia looked around in fear.  
"Well," she began. "As I happened to receive the news about Getty, Anastasia and I went into our 'evacuation phase' through the town; with the help of the rest of the police officers of course. After that, we were pushed into a 'French thank you' party at a bar. I got your info around an hour into it from Ana while she was wasting away at the alcohol section."  
"I wasn't drunk alright? I can hold my own pretty well," said Anastasia.  
That didn't surprise me at all. "Please continue Julie," I said.  
"Thank you Kathy," said Julie. "Anyway, after your message, I dragged Anastasia away from the alcohol section as we got moving. Now keep in mind that it was around three or four in the morning with no sleep, so you could pretty much tell that we were wasted. So we went out of the bar and started to look for a vechicle. We found one, but it took us a long time to get the damn thing started. I guess they don't make stealing cars easy anymore, which disappointed me."  
I turned to Muchiko while still addressing Julie. "Oh don't worry. If you need a ride, I'm sure Muchiko would be glad to help you."  
Muchiko looked away.  
"Thanks for the advice. By the way, what happened to your phone Muchy? We've been trying to call you for the longest."  
Muchiko turned around. "We fell off a plane, it broke, and I threw it to the river. What more did you want to know?"  
"Uhh, nevermind."  
"Julie, please continue," I said.  
"Sure-"  
"Wait. I hear something," said Anastasia.  
We all stopped. The townspeople looked afraid. They all stared at us like we were witches, conjuring up some sort of evil spell. Anastasia looked really scared.  
"Ana what is it?" I said.  
There was a huge rumbling sound, followed by the scream of "Toros!"  
"Umm, what does that mean again?" said Anastasia.  
Ana's question was answered in the worst possible way. People were running towards us, followed by bulls up ahead. This was not going to be pretty by any means.  
"It's not even July yet," said Julie.  
"Run you fools,"screamedMuchiko. She was the only one I knew that could get people out of trouble by just simply getting angry. Of course you never wanted to get Muchiko angry, so it was a smart decision that we obeyed her.  
We ran ahead of everybody else. I didn't know how this whole "Running of the Bulls" festival workedor what the objective was, but after eight seconds of watching them come after us and then running away from them, I understood that this was a survival "free-for-all" festival. I obviously knew that I could run fast enough, so this was a no sweat deal. I wasn't sure about the rest of the party however.  
My objective was simple: find a hiding place.I kept looking and looking until I saw a gate and leaped over it. As I landed on the ground, I crawled away from the gate, hoping that none of the bulls would follow. I saw a shadow over my head. It was Anastasia.  
"Katherine, are you o.k?"  
"Yeah I'm fine. I'm not too sure about the rest of them though."  
"Where do you think the bulls are headed?"  
"I'm not too sure. Probably to an arena is my guess."  
Anastasia lifted me up from the ground. "Then we should head over there in a hurry."  
"O.k. Let's go."  
We went aound a few buildings and then proceeded down a busy street where even the traffic was not ready for the bulls. This made things really worse. The bulls trampled over cars and started to gore over innocent people.  
"Damn. We got to keep moving," I said.  
"Where are we going?" she said.  
"Of course to follow the-"  
I suddenly stopped dead in my tracks. There was a figure up ahead, watching the carnage. His hair looked rather puffy, like he hadn't combed his hair in weeks, but I knew that was Lisle; even if I was looking at him blindfolded. I didn't want Ana to have a panic attack, so I decided to handle this on my own.  
"Ana, go follow the herd, I'll find another way through," I said.  
"Wait, are you crazy?"  
"Hurry up!"  
So she went through the crowd, while I started running towards Lisle. He made one quick turn and started running through a couple of buildings. That was his mistake. He would be the one who was going to catch his breath in the next seven minutes. For me, it would be in the next twenty.  
He went by an outdoor eatery and tried to throw a table at me. I jumped over it with ease. As he went down a hill, I was closing in on him. He was a tough egg to crack, but as I lunged forward, I tackled him down through another outdoor restaurant. People were holding me back, very oblivious to the situation. I couldn't even grab him to question him because once I pinned him down to the ground, he quickly ran away.  
"Get off! Get off!" I screamed.  
They quickly released my shoulders as I went looking for him. Lisle was gone. I felt like I failed, but at the same time, it was at least a good thing that I spotted him here. I know now that he's working with Harumi and all of that innocence stuff he tried to put on me was all a lie. There were many people staring at me as I walked back to the busy street, thinking about why Lisle was involved and of course about the bomb in my chest. I completely forgot how many days left I had until I was alive, but hopefully there was someone here who could help me remove it.  
I was walking around for a good twenty minutes, until I realized I was lost. I kept looking around for at least a sign saying _"El plaza del toros"_ which mean obviously "The Bull Arena." I've seen many cartoons when I was younger to know that there should've been an arena when a specific bull fight was going to be held. There were no signs at all. Either I was really far away from it, or it was clearly invisible. So I backtracked to the outdoor eatery, and then backtracked to the heavy traffic area where I spotted Lisle. I turned to the right, and then to the left. Muchiko was near a store, waiting for me.  
"Where have you been?" she said.  
"I saw Lisle, so I decided to chase him, but he got away. I was really close," I said. "Where's the rest of them?"  
"This way."  
I followed her towards a flower shop and then through another road before heading into the arena. Anastasia and Julie were waiting outside of it.  
"What's going on?" I said.  
"Glad you could make it here," said Julie.  
"Come and see," said Anastasia.  
I turned to the arena slowly. The people who were running, were rounded up in the center.  
"What about the police?" I asked.  
"They're distracted by the press," said Julie, as she pointed behind me to see a flood of police cars and a blockade of press vechicles up ahead. "The police did try and stop the bulls, but more and more showed up."  
"What? Did they see where they came from?"  
"Yeah, but that area is on lockdown. I didn't understand what they were saying. The only word I got out of it from the police that were joining us in the running was security."  
"The officer probably meant to say that the security was hacked. I can imagine how precious those bulls are."  
"Girls, we might have a problem," said Muchiko.  
The press blockade was broken up by the police cars and a helicopter from above.  
"Don't worry, it's a problem for Harumi, not us," I said.  
"If we stay down here, it will be a problem for us. We got to move," said Anastasia.  
We ran inside the arena, where a dome was closed in above us. Lights brightly followed as if we were in a baseball stadium. The doors were locked behindus magically with a loud click. Harumi's voice was heard loudly over a megaphone.  
"I'm so glad you ladies can make it to this lovely party," she said, on top of a huge balcony. Standing next to her of course, were Bianca and Beatrice. We saw that two bulls were approaching us, while the rest of them, probably around ten of more, were circling the people that were trapped in the center. There was a hush from the crowd as Harumi spoke: "Now, if you ladies don't mind, I would like to play a game with you."  
"Geez sis, you're an idiot," said Muchiko rather loudly. Outside, I could hear loud banging. I really hope they could rescue us soon. "What is it that you want?"  
"Simple. As you can see, there are many fellows here trapped. One gore from the bull and it's all over. But of course, that would be too easy. So I decided to go old school."  
"Biblical old school I assume," I said in a small whisper.  
"I get to choose which one of you would try and round up these two bulls at one time in thirty minutes. If you fail to do so, then fire will rain down upon these humans and it will be offered as a sacrifice," said Harumi.  
"You're a sick bastard you know that!" screamed Julie.  
Harumi got up from the chair. She was about to point but held her hand back.  
"Fine! If you want to play it that way, I already made my first decision. The small Russian, Anastasia."  
We all looked at her.  
"No no, pick someone else. I can't possibly do this," said Anastasia.  
"Hey sis, don't even think of giving your belt to Anastasia. That will get the people burned rather quickly," said Harumi.  
"Damn. There goes our saving grace," said Muchiko.  
"I'm sure you can do this o.k?" I said.  
"When I arrived in your lives back in Italy, my orders were specifically to bring Natasha back home, not tame wild bulls!"  
"Please relax. You'll be fine," said Julie.  
Julie gave Anastasia a relaxing pat on the head while Muchiko didn't take her eyes off Harumi. I, in turn, kept my eyes on the bulls. I leaned over to Anastasia.  
"Listen Ana. I'm sure you'll do great. I know that feeling when there's something big at stake on a challenge and failure means no ice cream trips for the whole gym class," I said. "You have to think of an inspiration that will make you keep fighting."  
Just then a door opened and two more bulls came out. The two bulls that were staring at us separated us from Anastasia and surrounded us. The rest of the crowd looked on as our chosen champion stood next to them.  
Bianca threw down two ropes right at her. As soon as Anastasia picked them up from the ground, the voice of Harumi spoke through the wind: "You have thirty minutes. Ready? GO!"  
The bulls charged at her. Anastasia dived out of the way and immediately scraped her arm.  
"Wow. What luck," said Julie.  
"C'mon Ana. Don't worry about that. Focus on your goal," I said.  
Anastasia nodded and got up. One of the bulls charged at her from behind. She tried to jump on top of it, but tripped over the bulls' tail in the air. I didn't even know how she managed to do that.  
"Muchiko, can't you give out any advice?" I said.  
"Hey, you were doing such a good job. Also, my belt is out of this fight. I got something here that can clear them out in one shot."  
"Geez, can't you think of anything else besides your belt for a chance? I bet you'll freak out with the thought of losing your belt."  
"Katherine, my belt contains many things that, in the wrong hands, could probably wipe out a whole continent within two weeks. I just plan on using it on small challenges."  
"I don't care if your belt has a B-52 bomber inside. There are many things that do not need your scientific items and elements." I took her by the head. "Why don't you try not using this, and instead using this," I said while I tapped her belt and then tapped her head. "You rely on your belt too much."  
Muchiko frowned. It looked as though she lost a bet, or more vividly, her own house. Julie slowly took out her gun, but Muchiko stopped her.  
"No, don't do it."  
"She needs an assist," said Julie.  
"One shot and the whole group of people get burned."  
"Damn."  
"Trust me on this. Even a gunshot covered up perfectly will have Harumi up in arms. She has the eyes of a hawk."  
"So what the heck do we do?"  
"The suspicious thing is that how is she going to get fire on this one spot," I said.  
It was a legitimate response. The dome was closed off in the roof, so it pains me to find out how Harumi would get this done if Anastasia failed. I looked at Muchiko. She noticed me without looking and said, "Ana will be fine."  
"I sure hope so."  
Anastasia was jumping all over the place. It looked as though she didn't know where to start or how to proceed. She took the rope, tied it up into some sort of lasso, and threw it right at one of the bulls' horn. The second bull was coming in from the right. Anastasia used the bulls' face as a springboard to leap in on the bulls' back. She untied the rope and tried to tie the rope on its neck, but the bull started to jump and shake Anastasia off.  
"Hang on Ana. Whatever you do, don't let go. No matter how sweaty your hands get," said Julie.  
The rope was wrapped around Anastasia as she grabbed the horns. That was a big mistake. The bull stopped jumping around while the other one was in front of it and gored Anastasia's side.  
"Dammitt!" I said.  
"Oh screw this," said Julie.  
She was about to leap into action, when the bulls that surrounded us were about to attack Julie. Muchiko tackled her to the ground.  
"Don't do it! Have patience," she said.  
"Grrr, how can I? Our friend is in pain and we just stand here?"  
"A thousand lives are worth more than one. Understand?"  
Julie got up. "O.k fine, but one more injury, and Harumi is getting one in the head."  
I looked closely at the action. Anastasia fell down to the ground, but immediately got up, holding her side. Her blue shirt was starting to get real bloody. Harumi spoke.  
"Want to give up Ana? You only have twenty minutes left," said Harumi.  
"No. I won't give up."  
She staggered around as the two bulls were ready to charge in on her. I kept an eye on everything around the arena. I didn't recognize any biblical story that involved such a challenge, but I was really in shock to see Anastasia still go through with it after a bull attack.  
"Ana, you have one rope left. Be careful," I said.  
She nodded. The two bulls were closing in, until Anastasia jumped on one of the bulls that surrounded the group of people and tied one of them up in the head. The bull that was tied up turned around, dragging Anastasia with it. She climbed the rope and then proceeded to tighten the head of the bull. It looked as though she was having trouble.  
"Dang it, what can she do?" said Julie.  
Muchiko finally spoke, in help of Anastasia. "Her guardian angel will help her."  
I stared at her and began to look all over the top area of the arena. There was light all over the place, but there was no said "guardian angel." I didn't know whether Muchiko was talking figuratively or, there was something she wasn't telling me.  
Anastasia broke the bulls' neck with the rope. She whirled around and ducked under the second bull that was charging towards her. Anastasia dived for the second rope on the ground, hoping for a second miracle but the bull clenched a horn through her shirt, flipping her in the air and landing in her back.  
"Ouch," said Julie.  
Anastasia turned around. The bull's eyes matched her eyes of fear. It looked as though it was all over. I couldn't watch.  
Seconds later, the bull fell down, with a hole through its head. Everyone was in shock. Harumi's cohorts, Bianca and Beatrice went through the back door. I didn't know what was going on, but I knew that this was the forementioned "guardian angel" that Muchiko was talking about. Harumi was enraged.  
"That is it! Let the fire fall!"  
With her words, the dome was opened. A man fell out from the roof of the dome and hit the ground hard.  
"Ha ha. So much for your fire," I said.  
"Games over Harumi!" said Julie as she jumped over the bulls. Muchiko burned the surrounding bulls with hydrochloric acid and rounded up the bulls with the remaining rope and extra rope from her belt, all by herself. I helped rescue the people, while Julie took care of a bleeding locks were broken and the police entered the scene.  
"She went over there through the back. And she needs medical attention," I said in Spanish.  
The officers simply nodded. Some of the officers took Anastasia away while the rest took the people away. Julie looked at me frantically.  
"Where are they taking her?" she said.  
"To the hospital of course. I think they can see blood and pain just like everyone else," I replied.  
"O.k. I'm going with her."  
"Good. Muchiko, you go with her as well. I don't want to see you separate."  
Strangely enough, she obeyed. "It shall be done. If they do not help Anastasia with the proper medication, then there will be so much bloodshed."  
"Hey, easy on the bloodshed alright?"  
"Where are you going?"  
"Going to find and beat down Lisle."  
"Sounds fun. I wish I could join, but yes, this is your party."  
"I know."  
So we all left the area, while the police investigated through the arena. Muchiko, Julie, and Anastasia went to a waiting ambulance, while I sneaked away down through the flower shop. A reporter came around the corner and wanted to try and talk to me. I hurried away from the loud chatter and cameras that were affecting my hearing as I sped off.  
I stayed near an intersection and now I had to try and find Lisle again. That was going to be a problem since almost all of the streets were identical. That wasn't a bad thing, and of course there were signs pointing all over the place, but I'm still lost. The sun was beaming in my face as I hurried to a shade that was in front of a bar. Of course, I wasn't an idiot to just stand there and get in trouble for loitering, so I went inside.  
The place was one of those rather lopsided bars where it looked as though it wasn't cleaned properly. The floor wasn't the type of floor that you can eat out of. Mostly consisted of some chewed up gum pieces and some spilled juice. There weren't that many people inside at all. I suspected that Lisle would be hiding in a place like this. Less than twelve people, a bar that looks run down, and people who didn't even see me come in. I took one look at it, and I decided to step out.  
No sooner was I outside when Lisle was standing across the street from me. He was holdingwhat looked like a brown falcon. I don't know how in the world he got a falcon, but that was the last proof I needed to show that he was working with Harumi, no matter how much he denied it.  
"Listen, I mean no harm," I said, to keep myself in Lisle's good mood. "I was only looking for you so that we can talk. Can you please just drop the falcon?"  
The falcon looked at me with its cold ice stare. Lisle had the wrist glove on which was used to hold the falcon. It was my new fear now. I waited for a couple of cars to pass by until I crossed the street, but Lisle started stepping back. I tried for an amateur maneuver.  
"I'm not mad at all that you place the bomb in my chest…of course, in a very disgusting way," I said. "I just want to talk to you."  
"You're…not mad at me?" he said.  
"No, I'm not. I just want to ask you some questions."  
Lisle smiled. I was hoping that was a good sign, but the majority of the smiles that I've seen lately were a preview of something much more evil. I kept my distance. Children came over to see Lisle's falcon.  
"Hey get them off of me!" Lisle shouted.  
"I'm sorry. I don't know that much Spanish," I replied, which was clearly a lie.  
"I asked you nicely."  
The group of children, about four of them who looked as old as ten, were busy grabbing his legs. Lisle regained his balance and grabbed the falcon. I stepped back a bit more. My brain was telling me that something bad was about to happen and my legs were bracing for another run.  
I didn't know what that "bad" was. The children were doing my job for me. Lisle was about to fall down as two other children tackled him down. Then the unexpected occurred.  
He aimed the falcon at my head as it flew towards me.  
My mind immediately responded: "I told you so."  
I turned the street and started to run. The falcon was starting to swoop down towards me. I dived for the ground, got up and began to run in the other direction. The children were chasing the falcon for fun of course, but the falcon only wanted me. And I didn't feel like playing with it.  
Lisle got up from the ground and was heading to a motorcycle. I picked up speed, but I felt the falcon knocked me over like getting pummeled by a rock. The children tried and grab it, but with a whistle by Lisle, the falcon went back to his arm. He went to his motorcycle, and sped off.  
A woman came outside from a building and helped me up. I got up, nodded, smiled, and ran off. All the children waved and said _"Adios"_ which means "goodbye." I waved back and then I kept running. It would've been nice to have some allies with me, but that wouldn't be happening anytime soon. I knew the children wouldn't catch up with me if I was in another running situation, so it was best to not give them an application to fill out. The main excuse was the language barrier. Chasing someone or getting some sort of item wasn't going to be easy with someone yelling at you in Spanish.  
Lisle was long gone heading to what seemed like a small mountain. I paced myself going down the road and attracting on-lookers as I went faster in a jogging state. The heat was making me slow down, but I had to keep going. I didn't feel like tiring but there was something up ahead that made me stop dead in my tracks.  
It seemed that the falcon was perched on a lampshade waiting for me and catching the attention of a very shocked crowd, as if they never seen a falcon before. Most of them probably never did. I slowly and quietly stepped back away. The falcon made a loud squeaking noise and spotted me.  
Dang it!  
I started running towards a corner, but the falcon flew towards me, along with the curious crowd behind it. I never knew a bird like this would cause so much fear for me. Now that I saw it completely, the thing that I feared most about it was its big shaped claws. It looked like it could rip my head into pieces. Its eyes were even scarier as it locked on to me with lethal precision. I felt its sharp claws grabbing at my forehead. I managed to smack it away and had about three seconds to check if I was bleeding. Once I knew that I wasn't, I kept on running.  
Worse came to worse when I approached what looked like a small ice cream parlor. My stomach pains returned, in the very worst possible time. I collapsed on the floorin front of it. I saw a shadow of someone about to help me, but the falcon probably scared that person away. It started to circle me overhead, like a vulture circling the desert for that person to fall and get eaten. Personally, I never liked vultures. They were the first creepers in my opinion.  
I didn't know what the falcon wanted with me, or what Lisle told it, but it was all over. My pain was getting worse and worse by the second. I couldn't get up, and the falcon was scaring anyone and everyone who tried to help me. That wasn't good, when a bird was specifically trained to only attack you and bother others when it feels like it.  
It swooped down on me. The unfortunate soul that wanted to dive in front of me to take the bullet, per say, was in for a rude awakening.  
Just then, the door of the ice cream parlor shot open. Either it was timed perfectly to block the attack of the falcon, or it was someone who was completely lucky to open the door to see an American girl lying on her back in the sidewalk. There was a sound of applause from the crowd that was looking at me. I didn't move in case my hero or heroine wanted to help me up, but I turned my head slightly to the left as I saw the falcon fly away. I would do that too, if I was running and all of a sudden a plastic door just smacks me in the face and breaks my nose.  
I stayed on the floor perfectly still, ready to thank the person. The first thing I saw was an ice cream cone over my head. That was a good visual. I reached my hand to try and grab it, but the other hand stopped it. I wasn't scared to meet this stranger and asking this person as to why I was getting stopped from having some ice cream.  
With one hand, the person lifted me up. I was about to open my mouth to say thank you, but just by looking at the person, I was overwhelmed with tears. Call them tears of joy, but I just call them tears.  
Red haired girl with sunglasses looked right at me with another lick of her ice cream.  
"Is…is this a dream?" I said.  
Natasha stopped suddenly. "Oh, were you sleeping on the sidewalk just now? I'm sorry to have woken you. Want me to find an eagle so that it can scare you back to sleep?"


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

I couldn't stop staring at her. There she was: Natasha Nikulina: Alive and well. She was eating her ice cream which was vanilla and sprinkles walking with me down the street. It didn't feel at all like the dream I had with Rebecca. Still, it was as real as any dream would be.  
There was no way that this was all real. She was walking with me, eating ice cream, and smiling. I kept looking at her and touching her "España" white t-shirt to see if she was real. She also had sunglasses, blue shorts, brown sandals, and a flare on her face that showed otherwise that she was alive. I kept taking deep breaths over and over. Natasha began to hit my back.  
"Are you choking? You o.k?"  
"Umm, I think I'm o.k. Are you o.k.?"  
"What do you mean? Am I getting chubby?"  
I stopped and stared at her. She removed her sunglasses and looked right back at me. Her eyes sparkled with the sun above her. I began to tear up again.  
"I think you need to sit down," said Natasha.  
"No, I'll be fine," I said. "I just-"  
"Sorry, I don't got money for any more ice cream if that's what your implying."  
"It's not that either."  
"You need to sit down."  
I nodded and headed for a nearby bench in a small park. As I sat down, Natasha handed me a napkin as she finished her ice cream and threw it on the ground. I took the napkin and wiped my face with it as Natasha put her arm around me. She tightened the hug; not so much that I could breathe, but so much that my face was covered in the helm of her breasts. Then she took me by my face and said something that not only was the best words I have ever heard her say, but it was the same words Jessie used for me when she was on vacation on Europe.  
"My mind was thinking of you through all my trials and tribulations."  
I couldn't hold it in. I buried my face on Natasha's shoulder, which was expected to have a huge wet stain by the time I was done crying. I got out of it. Natasha wiped my face with her hands. She took off her sunglasses, placed them on my head, and took out her red glasses from her pocket as she placed them on her face. I didn't know where to start the conversation. The smile on her face, after she gave me her sunglasses, was the best look I have ever seen. I decided to start with the obvious.  
"So, Natty. You pissed at Muchiko after causing a tsunami to the island?"  
That was a bad start to the conversation. Natasha's happy sunny smile immediately turned to small anger.  
"She was the one who started it?"  
There was no way to lie. Natasha had a look on me to try and catch. By her face alone, it looked as though she was pretty good at it. I couldn't say the same for Jessie however. "Yeah. To try and get rid of Bianca."  
"And she had to use all of that water in order to do it? Doesn't she know that I almost drowned twice?"  
"Hey, you know how she is."  
"Unfortunately. So where is she?"  
"She's in the hospital with Anastasia and Julie since Anastasia got gored by a bull."  
"What? Is she o.k.?"  
"A bit of blood spilled out, but she looks as though she's o.k."  
"Well, then we got to get over there!"  
She started to get up when I pushed her down back into the bench.  
"Hey what's the problem?" she asked.  
I was still upset. "You're not going anywhere until you tell me what happened to you."  
Natasha smiled. "I promise I will tell you. First, you tell me what's been going on with you since I left."  
"No, you tell me."  
"No you."  
"No you."  
"Why me?"  
"Well, because you just randomly show up without any emails or calls. I want answers Natasha because I know you didn't swim all the way to France."  
"How about if I told you that I did?"  
I didn't believe that for a second. It was impossible for someone to swim from the island of Corsica to the southern part of France. I knew Natasha was a skilled swimmer -of course a whole lot more than I am- but to me it was still something no one of her age would be able to do. At first, I thought she was only bluffing.  
"No way. You're not even qualified to be an Olympic swimmer," I said. "That's impossible."  
"Oh lighten up," she said as she gave me a soft smack on my back. "Hey get up for a second. Let me take a good look at you."  
I didn't know why she would ask me about that. It's not as if I gained weight or anything. As I got up, I realized that this could've been a problem.  
"Wait Natty, I have to tell you something," I said.  
"Wow Kathy. You sure gained some pounds since I've seen you," she said.  
"Well, that's not pounds."  
"Oh sure it is."  
She smacked my belly hard. I fell down completely on my back.  
"Was that hard? I'm sorry," said Natasha as she was helping me up.  
As I got up, I heard something spin really fast…inside of me. Natasha was about to speak, but I held a hand up to cut her off. She stayed silent as I tried my best to cut off the sounds of the cars, babies crying and drunken arguments to hear the bomb inside my body. I felt a spinner move and beeping sounds. I sat back down on the bench and waited for the spinner to stop spinning, still holding my hand near Natasha face to keep her silent. The spinner started to slow down and the beeping faded, when eventually they both stopped at the same time. Of course, I didn't have any "see through" glasses to help with this, so I had to rely on Muchiko and her dye that she placed inside me. Natasha looked at me as if I stepped on a mine.  
"What the heck is going on? Why are you so shocked?" she said.  
I slowly got up from the ground. She was the one who didn't know about the big surprise inside of me. I guess I had to try and break open the egg somehow; it was going to get Natasha either scared or pissed at me. I would rather have her feel scared. It makes me more comfortable knowing that I wasn't the only one who was scared of getting blown up. The question was whether or not what Natasha did was a bad thing.  
"Well, there's a bomb inside my stomach and it's going to go off in less than three weeks," I said.  
"Oh that's awesome," said Natasha.  
As soon as I began to steady myself, she grabbed my shoulder and whirled me around.  
"Wait, what was that?" she asked.  
"I think you're the one who would need to sit down," I said to her.  
"Well alright. I'll see if I can handle this."  
As she sat down, I began to tell her everything chronologically: from the time we ran away from her until she saved me from the falcon. I was clear and precise in my story, leaving nothing out and bringing everything in. Some of the scenes that I explained made me cry a bit, when Natasha handed me another napkin. She didn't interrupt me at all, which was good considering there were times in my story that I paused, waiting for her to speak; Natasha just motioned to keep going. As I finished, I put my hands on my face, still shocked that I remembered the entire stories of our adventures. Natasha just stared at me, her face in complete concentration and her mind calculating the facts and information that I gave her. She sat there, her right hand on her chin, while her left hand kept snapping away. I don't know whether there was an idea in her head that she was close to actually thinking of, or probably trying to say something but couldn't find the words. In a nutshell, Natasha's facial expression when she was thinking really scared me. It looked as though she was thinking of someone to blame, but it looked like it would be the wrong person.  
"So, what do you think?" I asked.  
"Well, it all seemed like a really nice story you put up; kind of sounds like something that should get published," said Natasha.  
"Thanks."  
"From what I got in the premise of your account, it seems that we can only blame…"  
"Blame….blame who?"  
Natasha suddenly stopped. She got up and started to look around. "I think I hear something."  
This was probably a joke to try and get out of the conversation, which was the same technique that Jessie would use on me, but it actually wasn't a joke. There was a sound, a familiar sound, coming up from behind the walkway. One man actually jumped out of the way to what appeared to be a motorcycle. The person holding a taped-up falcon was even more familiar than the bike.  
"Lisle! It was a mistake coming back here!" I said.  
Natasha eyed him and began to laugh. Either she was laughing at the falcon or at the appearance of Lisle. My best guess was the latter mainly because Lisle looked as though he hardly had any sleep and fell off a muddy slope. Still, with that appearance, he was still dangerous and the one who I wanted to die with the moment my bomb exploded. Natasha was still laughing.  
"This is the guy? Looks a whole lot more like a big pile of-"  
"Hey relax alright?" I interrupted. "I think this isn't the time to actually start poking fun at him."  
"Well fine. Be that as it may…Lisle was it? You came back to find out who hurt your birdie?"  
Lisle placed the falcon on top of the motorcycle as he and Natasha stared at each other coldly. The only thing I was staring at was the falcon. Its yellow beak was swollen from what I could see, but it remembered my face pretty well. It kept flapping its wings as though it was ready to attack me at any second. I kept tugging at Natasha's shirt, trying to warn her about the falcon, but of course I completely understood the reason behind the ignorance: Natasha heeded my advice on how dangerous Lisle is. I held on to Natasha as Natasha's right arm starting petting my head.  
"Leave Kathy alone, you horrible excuse for a man," said Natasha. I just shook my head. It was the worst insult anyone can ever say to someone. Even a parrot could come up with something better than what Natasha said.  
Lisle simply smiled. "You Russians are all the same. You just couldn't accept the fact that you lost the Cold War all out of cowardice."  
Now, I wasn't Lisle's bodyguard or any type of warning angel, but even I wouldn't go through saying something around that kind of an insult. I respected Natasha's culture and history, but it was probably trivial that Natasha was the type of person who also respected the fact that the Cold War stayed neutral. Anyone who says that one side was in extreme fear of the other was someone who really didn't know any history at all. I learned all about it at school of course, but to me, it wasn't one of my favorite historical turning points. If there was fighting, then it could've been a lot more interesting. By the way Natasha's faced looked when Lisle made that remark, I felt really bad for him and the next time he planned on actually having a family. Natasha's look said it all: don't mess with Russia. Lisle was going to figure that out the hard way.  
Natasha punched him dead in his face, causing him to have a bleeding nose, just like his falcon. I smiled a bit, but then realized that it was a fatal mistake: the falcon began once again to lunge right at me. Natasha was ready and shielded me from the attack.  
"Natty! What are you doing?" I screamed.  
"Protecting you of course," she said.  
The falcon had a good chunk of Natasha's arm. I was able to remove it from her arm when the falcon started to attack me again. Natasha grabbed it, and threw it to the ground. She was about to stomp at the falcon, which would be the same thing I would do, until Lisle tackled her. I was traumatized as I tried to get up and started to actually bite Lisle's head. He removed himself from Natasha and staggered back.  
"Leave us alone Lisle!" I said, as I lifted Natasha up from the ground. Her glasses weren't broken.  
"My boss wants you dead," said Lisle angrily. "I will not stop until that happens."  
The falcon perched on Lisle's head. Natasha looked rather dizzy, as if she was punched in the head.  
"You o.k. sis?" I said without hesitating. It was the second time I called her "sis." She put on a small smile, still focused on Lisle.  
"We have to get his pigeon off of him," said Natasha. "That's where he gets his strength."  
"Well duh," I said, trying to make it sound really obvious that I understood. Lisle looked really angry. The falcon started to go crazy, but Lisle calmed it down. Natasha restrained herself.  
"So are you going to leave?" she said.  
"Wait, where's the rest of your group?" he asked.  
I was about to speak, but Natasha covered my mouth. "Never mind about them o.k.? They do not concern you at all. Just leave and never let us see your face ever again."  
"Trust me that will be impossible."  
So with a blast from his motorcycle, Lisle rides away. Natasha was out of breath as we attracted a crowd.  
"Hey, where's the cops?" she said.  
"Probably still at the bull arena. It looks like everyone's looking for Harumi," I responded. "I really hope we find her first."  
Natasha put up a fist and punched her other hand with it. She was pissed off.  
"You know, what got me upset was the simple fact that I couldn't protect you from this creep. That's why you got this bomb inside of you. I'm just so upset at myself right now."  
"It's all right. You know I forgive you," I said.  
"Listen. I am very grateful that you consider me as an older sister temporary replacement because I never had a sibling before. Just someone who I can crack jokes and someone who I can crack eggs on their heads with."  
"That sounds cute."  
"Yeah, but that's all I wanted."  
"I'm sure that you'll get one."  
I didn't know what I was actually saying. I wasn't clearly focused on the task at hand; mainly due to the fact that I was getting over the first attack by the falcon. It was still scary, no matter how many bandages it had. The good thing about that ordeal was that it was gone. Natasha tried her best to comfort me. It was helping, but I was scared out of my mind, still considering that Natasha was a ghost. It made me smile a bit hearing that Natasha always wanted a sibling and that I was the perfect choice for her. Still, I couldn't believe that Natasha was alive and right in front of me. I kept touching her shirt in hopes that my hand would go through it. I knew for a fact that Rebecca was a ghost back at the small dorm room in Italy. That looked obvious due to the fact that she was always fading away. Natasha wasn't doing any of that stuff. I kept walking, thinking, and almost hit my head into a pole when Natasha stopped me.  
"Oh I'm sorry. I was daydreaming," I said.  
"Well you're going to be daydreaming of a huge headache if you're not careful," said Natasha trying her best to take care of me while I was too busy distracted in my own thoughts. As I have already proven, that can be very dangerous. If the pole wasn't there, it could've as well been a pit with spikes.  
I took some quick breathers and relaxed. Straightening myself, I turned to Natasha. "We got to go to the hospital to see how Anastasia is doing."  
"Oh o.k.," she said.  
"Promise me you won't smack Muchiko."  
"I'll try not to, even though the opportunity will be right in my face." She imitated a smacking noise, smacking her right hand to her left. That got me worried. I understood the whole reasoning behind Muchiko's actions -whether they made sense or not wasn't my concern-, but I understood Natasha's anger. Once they collided, that would be an explosion waiting to happen.  
We hailed a taxi, which took us to the only closest hospital that was near the arena. With my limited Spanish, the traffic jams, and Natasha knowing the terrain way better than I did, we arrived at the hospital in a good thirty minutes. Half of the ride consisted of us bickering over which way we had to go. Natasha had a small map and was sharing it with me. I said that we had to turn left at one intersection, but Natasha said we had to pass one block and then make a left. Our argument almost made us get thrown out of the cab. I was really steamed.  
We rushed in. Since most of the doctors knew me -from them being at Anastasia's side at the arena- they directed me to the third floor. Natasha and I remained quiet during the elevator ride. As the doors opened, we see Muchiko heading to a door on our left. Natasha marched towards her. An explosion of epic proportions would've been eminent between them, but Natasha surprised me very well. She hugged her. Muchiko looked at Natasha as though she was with the group the whole time.  
"And where have you been hiding yourself," said Muchiko in a rather relaxed tone.  
Gee, that kind of made it really awkward.  
"You're so lucky I don't beat your ass right here and now. You almost freaking drowned me!" screamed Natasha. A nurse shushed her until she kept her voice down and continued: "What exactly, goes through that head of yours?"  
"Well, if you must know…my thoughts."  
"Very philosophical," I said.  
Natasha was about to punch Muchiko dead in the face, until Muchiko pointed at the hospital room.  
"Ana!" she said and ran into the room. Muchiko quietly closed the door and leaned towards the wall next to me.  
"So, I assume you guys had fun coming over here?"  
"You knew she was alive didn't you?" I said.  
"In a word: yeah. I'm not an idiot to involve someone fully needed for this mission in a suicide."  
"But why?"  
"Because she did what I told her to do."  
"Which was what exactly?"  
"Survive."  
"Oh o.k. That seemed logical."  
"If you're still upset, then I have nothing to say."  
"What? You're kidding me. Listen, I don't care what kind of schemes you're planning, you better not do that again.  
"But what if things improve for the better?"  
"I don't care. Don't do that again."  
I was breathing hard in front of her face, that I didn't notice Julie was standing to the left of me, her face not directed towards me and Muchiko but rather someone to my left.  
Lisle was there, holding a bouquet of flowers.  
"And what do you want?" said Julie.  
"I just simply came by here to pay my respects to the girl who was attacked by a bull," said Lisle. "Just being nice and friendly is all."  
"Oh really? Saying, 'paying my respects' to someone is being friendly?" said Julie.  
Muchiko pushed me away. "You're outnumbered buddy. I suggest you turn around and not show up here again."  
"Well, can I at least drop off the flowers?"  
We all looked at them with suspicion. Muchiko was the first to grab it. She pointed to Julie and made some sort of motion at Lisle. I didn't know what she was implying to Julie, but then Julie grabbed Lisle calmly as Muchiko investigated the flowers. It was really odd looking: they were all white looking with black spots in the center. She took one sniff of them, which to me was really risky, but it really did help and it showed her mixed intelligence: if she was silently unconscious, then of course she would be "resurrected" in the hospital.  
Lisle stayed put while Muchiko continued looking for any signs that the flowers were tainted with. His expression didn't change at all as I also kept an eye on him. Very slowly, Julie began to let him go.  
Dang it. So much for keeping an eye on him.  
Muchiko suddenly dropped down to the ground; her eyes went blue as ice as she began shivering profoundly. Lisle managed to elbow Julie hard in her mouth and shoved me in the wall. He managed to take Muchiko's belt, and ran off kicking Julie. The nurses surrounded Muchiko immediately. I slowly got up and approached Julie.  
"Hey are you alright?"  
"No broken teeth, so it looks like I'm doing o.k. Just get that bitch!"  
I nodded and was ready to run. I was stopped however by a familiar.  
"Freeze!" said Natasha.  
"Hey look, I got to go."  
"Why? What's the hurry?"  
"Muchiko's belt was stolen by Lisle."  
Natasha stood there looking stunned. She kept looking at Muchiko on the ground.  
"What happened to her?"  
"Some flower stung her I think. They're taking her to the emergency room."  
Julie started to get up much shaken. I guess Lisle was really strong. Punching someone really hard who's trained in the Italian military was really a big deal. The doctors took the flowers with them as well. They better tell us what's wrong with those weird flowers.  
"You two go after him. I'll keep an eye on Muchiko," said Julie.  
"Wait, how's Anastasia doing?" I said.  
The answer to my question came out of the room as Anastasia, wearing nothing but a white sheet and a very sleepy stare.  
"Hey Kathy, what's going on?" she said.  
"Hey get back to sleep," said Julie.  
She helped her back into the room as she turned to me and Natasha and said, "You find him and make him pay!"  
Natasha and I looked at each other.  
"How long ago did he leave?"  
"Around four minutes ago."  
She stared at me and licked her lips. That look on her face pretty much scared me. It was probably her Grell personality that she loved so much. Either that, or she was thinking of a suicidal chase.  
"Are you thinking of something suicidal?" I asked like an idiot.  
She gave a smile. "Let's go for it!"  
She lifted me up in a piggyback rids as we ran out of the hospital. As we went out of the door, Lisle was standing there on his motorcycle dangling Muchiko's belt across the street. I'm really starting to hate his little habit of taunting you across the street. What a moronic coward.  
"You ladies looking for something?" said Lisle with a laugh and he was off.  
I remembered what Muchiko told me that her belt was something no one should ever touch. I grabbed Natasha as she let me down.  
"WE HAVE TO GET THAT BELT BACK!"  
Natasha took me by the hand as she left me on the side walk and waited for a car to pass by. A red car went by as Natasha jumped on the hood, forcing the car to stop. The driver got out and began to argue, but he tasted her fist. Without questioning, I jumped in as we drove away.  
Natasha was angry as she was driving. I began to tug on her shirt for a bit trying to get her attention.  
"What's the matter?" I said.  
"I didn't want to tell you this Kathy, but it's about Anastasia," she said, her tone sounding serious.  
"Well?"  
"She's not doing too well. The bull horn, as I heard, punctured the bottom of her left lung. I don't know how she managed to actually walk after that, but her breathing is getting worse every second. I'm like freaking out here."  
I felt really horrible. Anastasia is one note away from death, Muchiko is poisoned and Natasha just turned up the ante of her life by becoming a whole lot angrier than usual. I was worried about everything, until I noticed the one thing that I should've been worried about this whole time: the strange item in my stomach. I didn't have the opportunity to at least tell her about the weird sounds I was hearing inside my stomach. I shut my eyes and tried to blank out the surrounding sounds that were around me to hear the bomb, but it wasn't working. I felt someone petting my hair.  
"Hey no worries," said Natasha, in a very thicker accent, still driving this time with one hand, and her tone wasn't worried like before. "This creep isn't going fat at all."  
"Be careful. He is very dangerous."  
"And I'm very suicidal in my early life. So who's got the edge on that one?"  
Oh boy. That was very stupid of me to mention that tidbit.  
Natasha's hand was caressing me, almost getting me to fall asleep. Then she gave a sudden jump.  
"There's the rascal!" she said.  
Lisle noticed us coming behind him. The falcon was behind him making a lot of noise at us. He turned to the right as did Natasha. We were to his left side as Natasha and Lisle kept swerving past traffic and red lights, barely hitting one car. Yes, Natasha is very suicidal. And it made things really scary.  
I thought of something only my sister Jessie would tell me to do.  
"Natasha, move me closer," I said.  
"Now you're speaking my language!" she said.  
She drove closer, driving to keep up with Lisle's speed. I was surprised that she was able to keep up. Most people would just race a mototcycle and then realize that it's too late to turn back and then say "I quit." Not Natasha however. Get her in a really pissed off mood and she'll about have the anger and energy to do anything.  
I leaned over to the motorcycle and grabbed hold of the handlebar. The falcon flew to the handle and tried to peck my hand. I shooed it away, before my hand slipped as we turned to the left. Natasha made one more speed burst, which gave me an angle to knock down Lisle. The falcon had a feeling I was going to do that. It grabbed Muchiko's belt from Lisle's waist and flew away. The motorcycle crashed down into some trashcans. I didn't even get out of the car. Natasha hit the wall as she made a sharp turn.  
"C'mon! Out of the car!" she screamed.  
I was dangling at the side of the car. Natasha carried me from the window, kicked Lisle in the face, plopped me on the back of the motorcycle and we were off.  
Hopefully, the falcon didn't fly far.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

"So remind me again of how he got this falcon?" said Natasha.  
"I really don't have a clue. Just keep going," I said.  
The one thing neither me nor Natasha considered was the fact of how we was going to reach the falcon in the first place. We were still winding through city streets as the falcon was flying more upward.  
"We're not going to make it!" I shouted.  
Natasha took offense to what I just said. "You don't like our chances; you can get out right now."  
The motorcycle was going at speeds of around one hundred miles per hour. There was no way I would've survived a fall from speeds like that. To top it off, we were approaching a hill.  
"Uhh, no thank you."  
"Then have confidence sister Katherine."  
Maybe it was in a religious sense I wasn't sure, but it was the first time that she called me "sister". In her own way, Natasha was rooting for me to have a positive mind about it. That was really hard to do considering what was happening right now.  
The motorcycle made a screeching sound. Natasha looked as confused as I was, but kept going. The falcon looked as though it was slowing down. The spilt second that Natasha wasn't paying attention to the road, she almost ran head-on into another car.  
"NATTY LOOK OUT!" I shouted.  
Natasha gave a hard turn to the right and started driving through the walkway. The people were obviously scared and were jumping out of the way. Natasha steadied herself back on to the street, where a fruit truck whizzed right past us. I was going to say something, but from an earlier warning by Natasha, I decided to keep my mouth shut.  
The screeching noise went louder, but Natasha kept ignoring it.  
"Hey I think something's wrong with the bike," I said.  
"No matter. It isn't out of gas, so we will make it," said Natasha. She literally put the pedal to the metal and kept going. Worse of all, my stomach began to hurt. I fought the urge to scream in pain, since my driver was going ballistic barely missing cars along the street. We almost got hit by a couple of cars like three times, and no cops were behind us. What a miracle. "I see something up ahead."  
There was a box up ahead which was broken up to make it look like a ramp. By the positioning alone, it was as if someone set it up that way. The falcon was ahead of the ramp and on top of the hill, on a zip line, with the belt on its beak. How in the world did it have enough strength to carry it in its beak?  
"What do we do?" I said. The motorcycle began to make a cutting noise. I was getting worried. Natasha didn't look as worried as I was. "Wait, I don't think the motorcycle would survive something as drastic as the thought that you're thinking about. Natasha, don't do it."  
"Sorry Kathy. You know the saying 'if the cradle breaks, the baby will fall' right?"  
"Yeah."  
"Hang on to me immediately."  
I swallowed as Natasha turned the handles on the motorcycle. We received a bunch of stares from the locals. I was hoping they would be the judges in our stunt that we were about to perform.  
If we would live, then we would see our scores.  
Natasha licked her lips and sped off.  
What made me nervous was of Natasha's new suicidal transformation. I could barely see what was on the other side of hill and it was something that tagged along with Natasha's new nickname.  
"The hill's too deep," I said, with the wind breezing through my hair and face. "Don't make us fall."  
Natasha either ignored me or sped up to make the motorcycle sound louder. I looked through the bike and it looked as though it was tearing apart.  
"Natasha!" I screamed.  
"Get ready!" she said.  
"Ready for what?"  
The motorcycle hung up in the air and shattered into pieces as soon as the tire hit the edge of the hill. We were completely airborne. Gravity was holding us in the air for a few seconds, until I felt myself sink down. Natasha threw up the handlebars of the motorcycle in the air as she fell down. It was a perfect height for me to grab on to it. I turned the handlebars to match up with the zip line. The falcon started to fly as soon as I placed the handlebars on the line. I guess the vibration was too much for the bird.  
Now I felt like I was in the movies. With only the handlebars at my disposal, I was careening through the line at a very high speed; the falcon was edging closer towards me. I kept holding my breath, hoping that I don't slip and fall off. It looked as though I was four stories up in the air, but that didn't stop me at all.  
Good thing I didn't look down at the marketplace.  
The falcon was getting closer. Dangling my legs to get more speed and hearing worried screams from the people below, I noticed that the end of the line up ahead didn't connect to any other building, just to a statue. Just wonderful.  
"Hang on Kathy!" said Natasha, below.  
That was a relief of assurance for me. Hearing her voice was something I needed when chasing a bird in the air. I gave a small smile as I was close to the edge of the zip line. I knew I had to jump to reach the belt to also avoid certain disaster, so I couldn't bring myself to look down to see where at least I was going to land.  
The line reached its end. I held my breath and leaped.  
I must've leaped a tad bit too early because I felt myself sinking down to the ground really faster and the falcon flying away. I looked up at the falcon, as if it was teasing me from above as it flew away from my grasp as I almost shed a tear. I couldn't believe I failed. Knowing Muchiko's personality, I knew she would let me have it, and not in a good way. I fell knowing all hope was lost. If hope was a kick ass belt of course. There was a huge scream from someone in the crowd of onlookers. If I landed on that person's head, then I would owe that person a huge apology. Probably beginning with the lines -in Spanish of course- "Oh I'm sorry about the accident. I just had to try and get a friend's mystic powerful belt from a very angry bird." I'm sure anyone would understand that.  
I landed on a crowd trying to catch me. Three people fell down because of my speed. I felt my left shoulder in pain, but it wasn't excessive pain that would keep me out of the fight for long. If I hit anything but concrete, my goose was cooked. Luckily, the people below were perfectly in place to be the marble floor. I got up slowly, but was brought back to the ground by a very fast worried Natasha who gave me a tackling hug. There was applause from the crowd and many requests for me to be taken to the hospital. I shrugged them off and looked sadly at Natasha.  
"I failed. I'm so sorry," I said.  
"Hey Kathy, listen. I promise you we'll get it back," she said, in a tone like she was really sure of herself.  
"But how? Our ace in the hole just got poisoned by a flower."  
Natasha knew I was right. What was the point now? All of this was now slowly heading towards disaster. Harumi would finally get the belt and all would be lost. The only person who knew what to do with such power was Muchiko and she was in a hospital bed. Natasha helped me up as we started walking up the marble road, and through the heavy set colonial street. People were busy staring at us, some of them looking worried while others looked happy that I was hurt. What a bunch of mean evil people.  
As we were walking towards the hill that we fell apart from, an obvious yet scary thought came into my head.  
"Natty, what about Lisle?"  
Natasha was about to speak, when her phone rang.  
"Oh, it's Julie. Hold on a second."  
She walked over to the side of a house and began talking. I stood there with my arms folded as though she was keeping a secret from me. Natasha's face turned from happiness to sorrow in an instant. That was never good for my adoptive temporary older sister to be feeling. Now I was worried.  
"Hey Natty. What's wrong?" I said as I slowly approached her.  
She looked at me as her face was flooded with tears. Something about how she looked was not right and not well at all. It was really getting me worried. After a lengthy five minute conversation, she closed the phone.  
"What is it?" I asked.  
"It's Ana. She's getting worse now. There was surprisingly more blood that spurted out from her lungs than ever before."  
That was all she had to say. Anastasia was feeling worse, and by the look on Natasha's face, there was nothing neither of us could actually do. I didn't know what to do to make her feel a whole lot better. There weren't many times in my life where my friends were busy getting into hospitals. All of them knew how to take care of themselves. Of course, my friends weren't gored by a bull.  
Natasha was taking quick breaths as we walked slowly to the top of the hill. She was really frightened and looked as though she was heading to a nearby funeral. I grabbed her shoulder and started walking faster. It was my turn to give her advice.  
"Natty, I'm sure she'll be o.k."  
"What makes you think that? It's all over," she said.  
"No. It won't be over. We'll manage through all of this. No worries, o.k.?"  
"What are you saying? You're not the voice of reason around here."  
She was right. I wasn't the voice of reason as much as Muchiko was. Then I saw a darker haired tanned version of Rebecca standing on the side of the street near a lamppost. I already knew what that meant. God was probably reminding me of the dream I had before of Rebecca telling me to be a good leader. Why did He have to play jokes on me?  
It was also a wakeup call. I couldn't just get worried at all. If a dead friend told me to keep going, who am I to argue with that person? Especially if that person knows all about me than I do.  
It was very weird, but very true.  
I looked at Natasha as she was tearfully walking, not even paying attention, and almost got hit by a car. I tugged her out of the way.  
"Hey be careful alright?" I said.  
She shook her head. "Huh? Oh I'm sorry. I feel drunk with sadness."  
Somehow, that did not make any sense.  
I grabbed her shoulder as we walked by the hill, when I remembered something.  
"Hey, Natty. How did you survive the huge tidal wave?" It was something to at least keep her out of tears and it was a really fun topic. I wouldn't believe for a second that she swam all the way to France. At first she looked really confused and her face told me that it was something very secretive. She sat down on the sidewalk with me and began to tell me the story.  
"After you girls left, Bianca was about to torture me, probably by drowning me and trying to get me to explain what I was doing and why I was bothering Harumi when she was trying her best to, as she put it, 'cleanse Europe of its gay population.' Of course, that got me pissed off, so I punched her and ran off. When the big tidal wave was coming I broke free from my captors. Believe me, it wasn't easy. They were shooting me as I went into hiding; not knowing what was behind them. I have never seen a tidal wave as huge as that one that befell upon me. As the waters rushed through the island, I saw Bianca and her cohorts get swept away. I am not a fool to be like them, so I jumped into the sea and began to swim. The water was cold, but it didn't relieve any stress to what I was feeling."  
Natasha gave a small pause and then turned to look at me. Her smile was something that I would always see as an inspiration. What she said after her pause actually made the story much better. "My mind immediately thought of you and it gave me the courage to swim through the huge tidal wave."  
I looked in awe at her, as if she was a messenger bringing gifts to a poor girl on the street.  
"But why think of me? You weren't concerned about your own safety?" I said.  
It was a stupid thing to ask, but if she was this worried about me, then it was legit. Natasha petted my hair, and a peck on my cheek. I felt myself getting warmer than what was already prescribed.  
"Thank you Natty," I said. "Please continue."  
Natasha got up, and proceeded to walk up the road to the hospital. I of course followed as she continued the story. "As I started sinking very quickly and your face popped in my mind, I closed my eyes, and realized how much we've bonded together. I swam up to the surface and kept going on the same route your boat ran off to."  
"What about Bianca and her crew?" I said.  
"I don't know what happened to them. I only had my goal to focus on and that is finding you and keeping you safe," she said. I began to swim as fast as I could. Exhaustion started to take over and of course a little bit of my asthma."  
That was the confusing thing about Natasha. She was an excellent swimmer, probably the best, but her asthma problem would always seem to catch up to her. I rather not ask her to try and explain that logic to me as she continued. "I was still in the sea at nightfall, when-"  
I put my hand on her chest and pointed to the hospital that seemed like it was six miles away. "Finish the story later," I told her. "We have to check to see if our friends are alright."  
Natasha simply nodded, then headed to a grocery store close by to get some gum.  
"And what reasoning will that have?" I asked, a rather shuttle tone in my voice. "I don't think this hospital will let you have some gum inside."  
Natasha gave a small laugh.  
"Hey don't worry. It may come in handy soon. Hopefully as a bribe."  
We continued walking, when we saw footprints and then tire tracks from the familiar spot where I "dropped off" Lisle. It looked as though he was on his way to the hospital.  
"Dang it! We got to move!" I said.  
Natasha was crouched down examining the footprints. She looked unsure at first, but then she let out a small swear. She pounded the ground and turned to me. "Uhh, did you see something funny there?" I said, really uncertain as to the whispered swear that Natasha said earlier.  
I saw nothing odd about them; Natasha looked frightened.  
"You see those prints there right?"  
"Yeah? What about them?"  
"Look a little to the left of them."  
My eyes followed a little slowly and saw that there were another set of prints. It was as if someone joined up with him and headed to the hospital.  
"It looks like someone with high heels according to the ground," I said.  
"I don't think it's someone we know." Natasha shook her head. "It's someone we don't know, but it's someone Harumi knows."  
That was the cue that we needed to hurry and drive headfirst in the hospital. If we didn't, then it was going to be curtains for the hospital. Natasha started waving for a car, but after the motorcycle crash survival, I didn't want to enter another moving vehicle. She saw my face and knew what I was thinking.  
"So, I'm assuming we're just going to jog over there? Did you just forget about my asthma problem?" she said.  
"No of course not," I responded. "You have to get over this fear you have of running."  
Natasha looked uneasy. I patted her on the shoulder this time. "We'll go slow o.k?"  
Now she looked as scared as if I promised her a poisonous snake at her head if she didn't do as I asked. I don't know what else to say that would please her. I wasn't going to risk an accident. I blame my fear not only on Natasha's driving, but for her not checking up on something that sounded broken from the start. She now looked at me with hope.  
"O.k Kathy, we will go slow."  
"Are you sure you do not need a pump?" I said.  
"I'm pretty sure it will go away in due time."  
I gave her a small smile as I stepped to her right side. "Just follow me slowly and surely. Hold your breath as well. You must feel comfortable while you jog and don't feel afraid. That is what would make you not lose your breath any faster."  
That was advice Rebecca gave me. Starting out in the track team was really nerve wracking. Jessie always told me I had a knack for running since my first job as a papergirl when I was six, running from the dogs. Funny, since I like dogs and later on did I find out that all of these dogs were hired by Jessie. Boy, did I want to strangle her after knowing that. I began to try out for the girls' track team, but I was so nervous; I kept going behind in line. Rebecca was at the bleachers and stopped me. She gave me that advice of holding my breath and snuck me a small sip of water without anyone seeing me. I knew from many hours of studying that the lungs carry water for the course of running. Rebecca's words were my confidence as I ran a mile in a little over five minutes. It was probably the greatest thing the school has ever witnessed. Even the coach was really impressed. Rebecca was the one who was happier. Jessie, when I came home, tackled me and almost pulled my shoulder.  
I knew that my words will give courage to Natasha. There was no water around, but there was something that actually did come in handy.  
"Chew a piece of your gum," I told her.  
"What will that do?" she asked.  
"Well, I know for one that you won't choke. It will give you trust and complete destruction over your asthma."  
Natasha simply nodded. She took a stick of gum, stuffed it in her mouth, and was in a ready position.  
"O.k. Natty," I said. "Ready? Set? Go!"  
And we were off. It went a little slow at first, but as I kept my eye on Natasha, she was keeping up. My jog proceeded with a quick run. Natasha did the same, chewing her gum. She was gaining on me without complaint. That's good. It's bad enough that I pass someone that's complaining for a stupid reason. Natasha wasn't a complainer. Her face was filled with joy as she was able to conquer her asthma fear. With much speed, she surpassed me. That wasn't surprising. As we reached the hospital however, we saw the presence of many police officers.  
That was surprising.  
"Dang it, what now?" said Natasha.  
It took me a bit of thinking to realize who the problem was.  
"It's Lisle! C'mon!"  
We ran inside, where there was panic and chaos through the hospital. It was a good guess, but I knew that Lisle's new friend, the one with the high heels, was the one who cause all of this pain.  
"Hurry Natty, to the elevator. We have to get to the third floor," I said.  
Natasha looked o.k. and was breathing alright as we went into the elevator. The door closed as it made its way to the third floor.  
"Wait a second Kathy," said Natasha. "If Harumi has Muchiko's belt, then what do her friends want?"  
It was a really dumb question, but of course I did answer her.  
"She wants Muchiko. She wants her alive."  
As the elevator opened, there was a huge alarm of an ambulance. The third floor was silent. The sirens outside consumed the silence, but there was no one in the third floor at all.  
"Maybe they probably moved her someplace else for her safety," said Natasha.  
I swallowed as I opened the first door very easily. Julie was sleeping on the floor. Don't ask how she wasn't aware of anything that was going on.  
"Natasha, check the rest of the rooms on this floor to find Anastasia. I'll wake her up," I said. Natasha nodded and went off. I approached Julie and examined her body to see if there were any cuts on her body, or traces of blood on her clothing. I gave her a small poke in her eye. Something I learned from Rebecca during our first ever sleep over. It worked.  
Julie slowly started to get up.  
"Kathy? Is that you?" She sounded very groggy, like she just finished taking a whole bottle of sleeping pills. I picked Julie up to get a good look at her face. Red and cleared up of tears.  
"Julie, what's wrong?"  
Julie looked around the room. "Wait. Where's Ana?" she said very surprised.  
"What do you mean? They didn't move her after all of this commotion?"  
"Who's 'they'? The hospital staff? I hid her here with the door locked. That's why it surprised me to see you just waltz in here."  
I was really confused. I didn't know how long she was knocked out for, but by the new tone of confusion on her voice, it was for a long while.  
"What's going on? What's happening?" I said.  
Julie straightened herself. "You really don't want to know."  
"Wait a second. Did you see Lisle here with some woman in high heels?"  
Julie gave me a stern hard look. "No I did not see that boy. If I did, he would have a bullet to his head right now."  
I was about to open the door, when Natasha banged the door open, almost crushing my hand. She looked straight at Julie.  
"Where is she? Where's Ana?"  
"I was sleeping. I really have no clue."  
"Listen ladies. I really don't think we are going to make some headway just standing here," I said, as a leader that I was supposed to be.  
It's true that I did lose a friend's very prized possession, but that won't stop me from making smart decisions.  
"Natty, did you find any trace of Ana?" Natasha shook her head.  
"O.k. We'll check the fourth floor," said Julie.  
We were on the elevator again, this time, in hopes of finding our missing friends.  
The elevator opened up to reveal the fourth floor. It was weird that the third floor was empty, but the fourth floor was filled with shooting police and someone else we did not see. I hid behind Natasha as soon as the shooting started. Julie took out a small pistol from the bottom of her shoe and stayed on the other corner.  
"Tell me when the coast is clear Natasha," said Julie.  
Natasha took a small peek around the corner. I crept behind her and did the same as well. There were women in ski masks, which looked like they were trying to escape. One was carrying a silver suitcase.  
"Julie, fire that way!" I shouted.  
Julie nodded and fired her gun. An officer starting firing at her.  
"Crap, I think we're at the wrong floor!" she shouted.  
"You think?" said Natasha.  
I pushed the button to the fifth floor as Julie almost got caught between the elevator doors. She was out of breath.  
"Okay. One more floor. We look and check. If nothing, then we have to get out of here," said Julie.  
I shook Julie by her collar. "Are you crazy? We are not leaving our friends here, you understand!?"  
Natasha looked at Julie that seemed to say "Don't piss off our boss." Julie sighed.  
"O.k fine. Lead the way Kathy."  
It was really odd that someone with a gun just told me to lead the way. Personally, I wanted Julie to go forward and give us some body protection. She was a whole lot better than I was in that position. Safe to say, I wouldn't think Natasha would even suffice doing that.  
Julie started to sniff around.  
"What is it? Got allergies?" said Natasha.  
Julie pushed the emergency stop button. "Natasha, give Kathy a boost on top. Now!"  
Natasha grabbed me from behind with her legs as she hoisted me up on top of the elevator. Talk about flexibility.  
"Uhh, excuse me, but am I going to get crushed up here?" I said, while examining the outside corridors of the elevator.  
"You'll be fine," said Natasha's voice.  
Natasha came up with me a few seconds later. She crouched down and helped up Julie. I took the top cover of the elevator and covered it.  
"Now what Julie? We're trapped here?" I said.  
"Patience Katherine," she replied. "It's better here that down there right now. I smelled gun powder."  
I looked at Julie, with an expression that wasn't really healthy. The elevator started to go up again and the ceiling looked as though it was going to greet us.  
"Duck!" screamed Julie.  
I planted myself down as I had a good view of the area below us. The elevator door opened and, just as Julie predicted, there were gunshots, all at aim for the elevator. I heard Lisle's voice over the metal frame. "Let's go hurry! Down the stairs!"  
I broke through the door and let myself down. Natasha tried to stop me, but she missed my shirt. The place was empty with the stench of death surrounding the hospital. I heard Julie and Natasha lower themselves from the elevator. I glanced around at the blue hallway. Whatever happened to these cool and some cute doctors was really bloody. Hearing Lisle's voice pretty much summed it up.  
The rooms were empty, and with each room came a body. Natasha and Julie joined me in our very small treasure hunt. Most of the doctors and nurses were cut open. Of course this had the smell of Harumi written all over the hallway. The funny thing about all of this was the fact that we were here alone; no one guarding the area. That got me really nervous.  
Julie was behind me, walking with gun drawn, and making sure I didn't trip on her since her hand was on my back, gently pushing me forward. I took a quick glance at her direction. She also looked more afraid than I was. Her eyes showed sadness and also anger. Her gun was on top of my head pointed in front of me, just in case I wasn't paying attention to whatever was in front of me.  
"Anyone know the layout of this floor?" said Natasha.  
"How should I know?" I replied.  
"Sorry, no."  
I took a quick glance behind Julie at Natasha. She looked like her asthma was starting to return. None of us -well, maybe possibly Julie- has ever seen this much many dead bodies in a hospital before, but Natasha was scared they might come back as zombies. Kind of spooky if you ask me.  
"Can we please hurry this up?" she said. "I'm afraid this situation will become worse."  
I shrugged her off. "Natasha, relax. Didn't you say you wanted to try and find Ana?"  
Julie moved ahead of me and saw a locked closed door on the left side of the hallway. She moved to the right side of the door, while she pointed at Natasha to go to the left. I stood in the middle of the door, as if they were opening the big doors of a game show.  
"Ready?" said Julie. Natasha nodded, but I put my hand up for them to be silent.  
"I hear the elevator door opening," I said in a whisper. "Can we hurry this up?"  
Julie was about to fire her gun, but Natasha held her arm back and took out a small hair straighter. She slowly started to unlock the lock while Julie went off to check the area of the elevator. I watched her go, as Natasha started to work quicker.  
"I'm going to check up on Julie," I said. Natasha held me back. "She'll be fine without you for a bit. And I'm almost done." I looked back at where Julie was supposed to be. It was darker than it originally was intended to be, which was a bad sign. I didn't hear any gunshots, which was a good sign. How nice when everything balances out.  
I heard a click from the lock. I wasn't paying attention when Natasha was calling for me to go inside the dark room. It was better that I was daydreaming. I'm not going to let anyone drag me into a dark hospital room. Who knows what looms inside.  
"Kathy c'mon," she said to me.  
She dragged me in and closed the door. The room was cold, dark and very scary. I knocked over something that, by the feel of it, contained a huge amount of liquid. I managed to save it in time from spilling over and causing panic in the room.  
"Kathy, find the lights," said Natasha.  
I searched the room walls, until I found the light switch. I felt Natasha grab my collar in a way as though she found gold. Believe me, it wasn't gold. I turned around and immediately covered Natasha's mouth before she let out a shrieking scream.  
Anastasia was sitting on a chair, gagged, tied up, and her arms sliced up in bloody crosses. Her eyes were closed, which could possibly mean that she was just asleep, but after the huge blood loss on her arms, I highly doubted that. Natasha crouched down and sobbed.  
"That bastard Harumi will pay!" she said.  
"Relax. We have to take these things easy."  
Natasha looked at me, trying to decipher the exact words that I've just said.  
"Relax? You tell me to relax?" she said in her strong Russian accent.  
"Well, it's something we can do instead of rushing and getting us killed. We have to plan these things out."  
Natasha was really frustrated and threw a metal pan over my head.  
"Listen Kathy, I will not be calm. Do you understand me?" said Natasha, really slowly.  
It was less scary when she yelled. This "talking slow" business was really creepy.  
As my eyes searched around the room, there was nothing else that would prove to be any use to us. If it was Muchiko, she would start stealing as much of these things as possible.  
Julie came in the door.  
"Hey we gotta move. We-".  
She stared right at Anastasia's dead body. "Is she?" she said.  
"YES DAMMITT! SHE'S FREAKING DEAD!" screamed Natasha.  
"You know what Kathy said. She said for us to calm down."  
Julie looked at me and then stared at Ana.  
"She's right. We do have to calm down. Harumi would want us to go insane."  
Natasha took a deep breath. "Fine. I'll try to...relax."  
She gave Anastasia's body a tearful hug. It made me cry. I lost Rebecca, and now Natasha lost her best friend.  
"I'm sorry Natty. Julie says we got to go. We have to find Muchiko. Remember the belt we're supposed to find?" I said.  
Julie flinched when hearing the word "belt."  
"You lost her belt?" said Julie. I told her what happened with Lisle's motorcycle and the falcon. She just stood there, as if the end of the world was going to happen. Natasha broke free from Anastasia and shook Julie until she regained some of the energy that she lost from staring into space.  
"Hey, break out of this o.k? We'll get it back. I'm sure of it," said Natasha.  
Julie trampled along the ground and almost fell down. I grabbed her back.  
"You better be sure about that Natasha," said Julie.  
I patted her on the back. Julie shook it off and smiled. If she trusted us to get it back, then it's all good for us. Natasha took Anastasia's body around her shoulder as we closed the door and left the dark room. I didn't know what Julie meant earlier when she said that we had to leave, but I had a feeling we were about to find out.  
At the end of the hallway, Julie was behind the wall. There were whispers from the other side.  
"You ready girls?" she said to us in a whisper.  
I nodded and was the first one to spring forward. Then Natasha. And finally Julie.  
What we saw came through Julie's earlier facial expression of the world ending.  
Lisle was standing on the window, carrying Muchiko's body, and jumped out of the window.  
We all stood there. Julie didn't fire her gun. As I ran to the window, he was gone.  
Both Muchiko and her belt were gone.  
In a way of Julie's expression, she's kind of right saying that the world may end.  
"So now what do we do?" said Natasha.  
"We get out of here of course," said Julie.  
A swarm of police surrounded us from behind.  
"FREEZE!" they all said.  
"Yes girls, let's get out of here," I said.  
I grabbed Julie as Natasha followed, out of the window. We landed on the grassy slope below as gunshots rang through the air. We ran by the hospital parking lot through the night and crossed through a park. Now things were going to get really insane.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

Hiding out in the park at dark was easy to accomplish. Hiding in the park with a dead body and the Spanish police chasing us wasn't going to be easy by any means. We had to come up with something. With only one option available, I knew Natasha wouldn't go with it by any chance of fortune would agree with my decision, but it had to be done. Julie knew what I was thinking and she didn't want to do it either. I assumed that she had at least some sort of an idea within this involuntary position. I thought most fighters of the army would have the courage and skill to bury the dead. Looking at Julie, her courage was starting to diminish little by little.  
"No! I won't bury her here in this park! She has to go back to Moscow this instant," said Natasha. Julie gave a little laugh. "You think that the Spaniards would allow you to fly a body back to Moscow without getting freaked out?"  
"Well, Anastasia still smells fresh. Not Pine Sol fresh, but not decaying at all," I said to try and lighten up the mood that was around us. It really didn't work. Natasha still wasn't sure what to do.  
"Either we bury her here or we get buried with her," said Julie.  
Natasha was really frightened. I brushed aside her hair and tears were flowing down her eyes, as she was still staring at her dead friend. I really didn't know the history between these two, but ever since Anastasia showed up with us and demanded Natasha to be taken back to Russia, all she seemed like doing was secretly asking Natasha for her forgiveness. Since Natasha's disappearance, she became over distraught with fear, as if she lost a family member. Anastasia wanted forgiveness from Natasha, but never got it. Natasha began to calm down from her sobbing, and looked at me.  
"There would be one reason as to why they would kill Ana," she said.  
Julie scratched her head in confusion. "Am I the only one who is at a sudden loss here? What's going on?" she said.  
"Hey, so am I," I said.  
I really hope to get a clue from this mystery. Natasha then dropped the body and looked up into the sky. It looked as though she got some sort of clue.  
"She has to be buried under the water," said Natasha, still staring at the sky.  
Me and Julie just simply looked at each other.  
"So what are you saying?" said Julie, in hopes of shedding some light on this already difficult problem. "You want to try and go underwater to the sea floor, dig a hole, and bury her there?"  
Natasha's face slowly dropped. She seemed as though Julie didn't understand what she was trying to say. Frankly, I had no idea as well. It was really a stupid idea in my opinion. As I thought about it a lot more, I finally understood why Natasha wanted this to happen. Last time I checked the Bible, the word "water" has been a very strong resource. To rest in water, would be something she would like. So now the question was obvious, was there water anywhere?  
"I know where we can go," I said.  
Both Julie and Natasha looked at me dumbfounded. Of course it was my cue to answer them.  
"The river where me and Muchiko landed from jumping off the plane," I said.  
"And your still alive?" said Julie.  
"That's how strong Katherine is. Nothing can stop her. She's that solid," said Natasha smiling. Finally, it was a good thing to see her smile. "Lead the way Kathy. You're the MapQuest girl."  
I remembered the route very well. I also remembered the misfortune of Natasha behind the wheel. There was no way I was going to let that happen again.  
"O.k. Julie, you're the one that's going to drive," I said. "I'm not letting Natasha grab the wheel. And you better not let her as well."  
"Sure. No problem. She sits in the back and provides us with cover fire if we're getting chased."  
Natasha looked at both of us. "Hey I agree with you on that one. So no worries there from my part. All we got to do is get a vehicle."  
That was now easier said than done. There were sirens coming from all directions.  
"Yeah ladies, we got to hurry," said Julie.  
The three of us –along with Ana's dead corpse- started to run across the park. The police cars surrounded the park. They came out all in full force.  
"We're not going to make it. They got us cornered all over," I said. "Oh come off that Kathy. Do you know the definition of a corner at all?" said Julie.  
"Well hurry it up," said Natasha. "We really don't have much time to come up with a foil-proof escape plan in the next five seconds."  
Julie hid behind a small stoop. I was more worried that the police were going to catch Natasha first because of her tall stature.  
"Natasha, I really think you should be closer to the ground. It wouldn't be fun for you to get caught. You have the dead body after all," I said.  
"Girls shut up," said Julie. "Can I concentrate on escaping?"  
"Okay okay sorry."  
Julie went to the right for a bit. She held her hand up for a bit to get us to stop, took out an item from her pocket and threw it in front of her. It was good range. She should really try out for a baseball team.  
It was an obvious smoke screen. No one had to tell me to run over there. Natasha however, didn't have to alarm me with a push that almost trips me. How very mature. Believe me, knowing Natasha for this short time, that wasn't done by accident.  
The smoke cloud worked and we were off. There were gunshots heard as we escaped into the thick cloud of smoke. Julie shoved a bunch of cops out of her way and slipped into the car that appeared to be waiting for us on the side of the sidewalk. I got in the passenger seat, while Natasha and Ana's body were in the back.  
"Duck!" ordered Julie.  
We both did as we were told. Julie tricked us both by actually putting the car in reverse and almost hitting two parked cars. One of the gun shots actually hit the windshield, breaking it into pieces.  
"Kathy! You alright?" said Julie.  
"I'm fine, but you're going to wrong way!"  
"Don't you think I know that?"  
"I really don't think you knew that at all," said Natasha.  
"Sure sure Natasha."  
Julie kept looking back as we approached another road. She turned the car to the left, as the police came charging at us.  
"Okay Katherine, where to?" said Julie, looking as though she was really proud of herself.  
I slowly got up to see if the road was actually safe for me to answer Julie's question. The now broken windshield was giving a very cool breeze upon us; enough to keep me awake. By the looks of the sky, it was sure to be past midnight.  
"Only eleven o'clock and all of this keeps getting better and better don't you all agree?" said Natasha, to ruin my thoughts and fun.  
Julie kept driving forward without any direction from me at all. Then she made a left turn. I kept looking at all of the buildings to see which ones looked familiar to me and which ones didn't. Most of them did, so I was now able to guide Julie though this terrain of mess.  
"Take a right, through here. We should be nearing a highway soon," I said.  
"Roger," she replied.  
Julie went to the right and kept going. Most of the police were chasing us, around four cars. With Julie's driving, she was able to elude three of the cars and kept in hiding in front of a truck. Natasha looked back. "We still got some company behind us," she said. "Don't do anything hectic o.k.?"  
"Heh. These guys don't know anything of my skills here. This is basically cake practice for what we always train for in the Italian military," said Julie.  
I took my head and looked out of the window. The nightlife looked really promising, but there wasn't any time to enjoy it. "Julie, can't this thing go any faster?" I said. She looked confused. "Wait, isn't this a cop car?"  
"Yes it is. It looks like you're just going around fifty miles per hour," I said. "Can't you find the siren?"  
Julie searched around the car, but couldn't find it. "I can't find it. I've never driven a police car before."  
Natasha leaned over to the front of the car. "Oh move over!" she said as she found a button barely visible next to the steering wheel. Once it was pressed, Julie's expression was now quenched in fire. She pressed the pedal and the wind coming through the broken windshield came as cold as the breezes I experience back home. This felt even worse. Imagine going to sleep with the blankets on, outside in sixty miles per hour winds, in a place like Canada. The goose bumps came through my body like a rapid forest fire. Natasha was still holding on to Ana's body, but not on comfort.  
"Isn't there a way to not let this get any colder?" I said to Julie. "Can you at least not drive so fast?"  
It was the braveness of Julie that was really appreciated. With this arctic wind pounding the car from the inside thanks to a gunshot, she was taking it in stride. For someone who only had on a weak linen of a t-shirt, Julie felt pretty much right at home. Looking at her, she was used to this weather. I really wasn't. I was going to catch a huge cold in a matter of four minutes. Natasha was covered up under the seat and away from the rest of the windows. She was the lucky one of course. I kept thinking of Muchiko and how she is faring right now.  
Hopefully not dead of course.  
"Kathy, can you stop shivering there? You have to at least give me guidance through these treachery roads," said Julie, her expression not changing at all. "Now you're the one who's getting me nervous."  
Without thinking, but sure enough that I would be correct, I blurted out, "O.k. Turn right at the second exit."  
"Gotcha."  
Natasha was still in hiding under her seat when I looked back at her, when there was a hard bump that was on the road. It seemed as though we were the only ones affected by the invisible speed bump, but there was also the sound of a loud BANG that preceded it. That meant only one thing.  
"They've shredded the tires! Everyone hang on to something," shouted Julie in a mainstream form of panic.  
The only thing I could hang on to was my seat. Thank goodness the seatbelt was providing me with the rest of the protection of not getting blown away. Making this my second trip in a police car wasn't giving me any luck. Last time, I fell upside down. So far, with both blown tires in the front of the car, it looks like it was going to be an encore performance.  
Julie, surprisingly, had really good control of the car as it made its way to the exit that I told her. The police were still chasing us, and it looked like it would be no escape. A distress call from Natasha made Julie hurry.  
"Hurry up! She's starting to bleed again, and it looks a little bit like her mouth is foaming," she said.  
"Geez, what did they do to her?" said Julie.  
"Something unpleasant I'm sure," I replied.  
More gunshots were heard, as Julie still kept on going, even with the two front tires busted. She tries to floor it, but it doesn't work.  
"I think we're doomed girls," she said.  
I kept looking out into the darkness, hoping for some sort of miracle. I didn't realize that something of an old enemy might save our lives. "Keep driving a couple of miles. We'll go headfirst into the river," I said."Are you just downright crazy?" said Julie.  
"Either I am, or they might not even try and chase us, seeing as though to them it looks like we just committed suicide."  
Julie's expression did not change. "So what do you think Natasha? You think this plan will work out well?"  
"Hey, I'll try anything not to get caught by some Spanish police officers. This vacation here was pretty fun, but now that we're being chased all over the city for a whole bunch of murders we didn't commit, it's time to try and move on. Besides, there's bigger fish to fry than some groups of police officers. We got a friend to save."  
It was a pretty amazing speech. Kind of short of course, but still very inspiring. The river was close by. I was ready to go at it again over my fear, when I forgot to ask Julie of my question of hope.  
"Julie, is Muchiko alive when you last checked up on her?" Julie gave a smile and leaned forward on the steering wheel as another spike strip was thrown, this time at the back wheels of the car.  
"She fought off the poison that was in her body. She fell unconscious due to the shock of it, but in all accounts, she will be fine."  
"Thank you Julie," I said, as the car crashed into the river.  
"Everyone hold your breaths. We're going to try and make it to the other side of the river while being underwater for a long time," said Julie very quickly.  
The water crashed right in front of us in the completely empty windshield. Adding the breezy wind earlier, to meeting the very cold water now, made the chances of getting sick raise up to ninety percent. The ten percent of uncertainty was in a wild chance I would actually survive.  
I held my breath and started to swim underwater. My eyes closed as usual, my fear began to circulate all over my body. I felt a hand grab my hand, which to my guess was Julie. We started swimming faster and more closely to each other that one bullet would be enough to take two of us down. I barely heard the police cars pull up to the edge of the river, when more gunshots were heard. My breath wasn't starting to deteriorate, but my stomach was starting to get really angry for being ignored. I held my stomach and made an abrupt pause, hoping that whoever saw me would take notice in my pain. I felt the same hand that carried me take me on her back. I felt myself gliding in pain. That wasn't a good feeling at all because now, for the first time since I've been developing the stomach pains, I felt like I wanted to throw up. The pain has gotten worse and worse. I thought back from when Natasha hit me in the stomach in front of the ice cream parlor. For me to have the feel of throwing up would probably mean that the bomb was really strong. It could also mean the worse: I didn't have that much time left to live. I got to remind myself to smack Natasha as soon as the small funeral was over.  
I softly banged on Julie's back -hoping that it was Julie and not Anastasia- as a signal that I was running out of air. The pain was gone in a matter of minutes and so was the urge to vomit. The air started to swoop into my lungs as I let go of Julie. I heard Natasha breathing a bit heavily behind me.  
"I guess it's harder to swim when you're dragging a dead body along for the ride," she said.  
Julie looked around. "They might be sending a helicopter to search around for us, so whatever you're going to do Natasha, I strongly suggest you do it quickly." Her tone was really serious. "As I reminded you earlier, if you don't hurry up, we will all get buried together."  
We all rushed into the nearest grassy field except for Natasha. She got out of the water and stared at Anastasia's lifeless body. Julie and I could only watch in the darkness of the night as Natasha shed a couple of tears. It was a very sad moment.  
Adding that we were still runaway fugitives wasn't making the situation any better.  
"If you're planning to say a goodbye out loud, please do it in English. I would really like to remember it," I said, without thinking as usual.  
Natasha didn't nod this time. She simply looked at us and gave us an insane announcement; an announcement that not only shocked me, but gave a new yet familiar light to the disfigured body of Anastasia.  
"She's my lesbian cousin."  
I completely froze still. Julie wanted to scream, but couldn't. That was the reason behind those cuts and the torture. She held that inside of her for so long, but was afraid to bring it out. And now, Anastasia paid for it. I thought Harumi's ladies killed her because of the obvious fact that she was our new friend. Now for this new random reason, that killing went too far. Natasha was closer to us and quickly began to dig a hole.  
"Hey do you need help?" said Julie.  
"No it's fine," said Natasha, her eyes were almost white as ice. She was too overcome with sadness that her mind was completely unable to focus. She dug the hole, placed her dead cousin inside, and buried her with her own tears. Seeing this made me hold back that earlier thought of smacking her for setting the bomb early.  
That still didn't mean I wasn't going to do it.  
Natasha came towards us, of course very grief stricken. She didn't talk, and didn't even look at us.  
"Natasha, I'm so sorry that had to happen. I really didn't know that she was your cousin," I said. "You two looked a lot more like best friends. Of course I really didn't know about the...well, you know."  
"I deeply apologize for the interruption of this warm gesture," said Julie. "But I do hear a helicopter coming towards this area. We really have to move."  
So, with sadness in our eyes, we gave the newly form burial ground one last look for a good five minutes, until we ran off. We couldn't hide near or at the barn, which was pretty obvious as to where they would look. I looked to Julie for some guidance.  
"Where to?" I said.  
"Sorry, but I don't know anything about this country."  
We kept running and running, until we reached another farm. The three of us stopped and decided to separate and hide. Not even swimming through the river could've kept me from falling asleep. I ran into a small house with sleeping sheep. As I tip-toed inside, I went to a corner and settled down. The tears started to dry up cleanly, as I tried my best to relax and think of the things that have conspired through the past six hours. My eyes couldn't close as now Harumi has claimed another victim.  
Anastasia was a nice girl who didn't cause any trouble after she arrived and joined our group. She was a bit on the crazy side, and pretty much tried to block out everything that was going on around her, but as soon as she understood what was going on, she was glad to be on our team. It wasn't long before Anastasia's mind was unfocused and as a result was attacked by the bull, resulting in her capture, torture and immediate death. Being who she was, that wasn't a real reason to kill anyone, but Harumi or whoever Harumi ordered to do the ugly deed, decided to go along with it without any sympathy or remorse for the simple fact that she killed another human being. Still, the not surprising aftershock was that she wasn't caught. Only Lisle was and thanks to me, he escaped.  
Damn me and my clumsy brain.  
The sheep's snores started to make me sleepy so I began to hide behind some hay and fell asleep.  
The dreams that I was having started to scare me, and this one was beyond no exception.  
This time, I saw Anastasia sitting in a blue room wearing an old fashioned dress. She looked as though she was having a cup of tea by herself and looking downcast. I didn't know what to say or how to approach her. I gave her a light tap on her shoulder.  
"Hi Ana. How are you doing?" I said.  
Anastasia looked up at me. She had a very small smile.  
"Please sit down," she said.  
I sat across from her on the table. I was afraid that this blue room was the room that was "promised" in the bible. I looked tensely afraid at her. She kept sipping at her tea. I had a chance to look around the room as she looked down at her tea. There was only one window with an outside scene looking very unrecognizable, a small hallway that led to an empty kitchen and a very empty living room from the area that I appeared from. It looked like it was owned by a poor person.  
I looked at Anastasia once again, who put her tea down on the table. Her face was cleaned up, her scars on her arm were gone, and she looked beautiful. That's not to say she wasn't beautiful when she was alive, but she was more awe inspiring right in front of me. A long sleeved sweater and short cut jeans made her look three years younger. I still couldn't help but wonder why this dream involved a blue painted room and a window that I could barely see out of; the setting was really bright however. Now that I have seen the complete inside of the place, I wondered whether I was "upstairs" or "downstairs."  
Anastasia looked at me. "Would you like to have a drink?"  
I wondered what kind of drink she would get for me in a place like this.  
"Water would be nice," I replied.  
She got up from her chair. "Very well," she said, bowed, and walked towards the kitchen, with very long brown sandals. I stared at her teacup. It looked like old fashion china, but very well crafted. The floor was the only thing in the room that was white. There were no pictures on the wall or anything of that factor. Yup, this sure looks like the "downstairs" area.  
Anastasia returned with a glass of water and the same smile she had on when I appeared before her.  
"So, how is Natasha doing?" she said to me.  
I took a sip of water before putting the cup down. I don't know what I was supposed to say to someone that was dead. I better at least try to get a conversation going before I started freaking out and tearing up the walls.  
"She's fine. She's fine. She thinks about you a whole lot."  
Her expression was a little sorrowful this time.  
"It was very horrible indeed," she said. "I had no choice. They thought about killing Muchiko if I didn't tell them the truth about myself. So, I had to tell them."  
I was a bit surprised by that answer, but of course it made me really happy. Not happy to see her dead like this, but at least calm enough not to start breaking walls.  
I looked down at my drink as I asked her, "Did you see anyone with Lisle? Someone with high heels or anything of that matter?"  
Anastasia looked up from her cup of tea right at me. "I have never seen that woman in my life. She looked Asian to me."  
To me that wasn't a valid description by any means, but I guess it would have to do for now. I started to get up and looked slowly out the window. The sun's rays dimmed upon my presence as I opened it. It was as though I was on top of a twenty story building. Probably the rent decreases with each floor. If that was the case, I know I'm going to live the rest of my life on the roof; depending when I figure out where I am. I couldn't see anything below. No streets, cars, people or anything else among that nature. Not even a bird in the sky. A blue sky at least, but it may as well be a well painted illusion.  
I went back to my seat as Anastasia looked at me again. "What else, if you remember, did the woman or teen girl looked like?" I said.  
Anastasia shook her head. "There wasn't any time I told you. The last thing I remember was her and Lisle laughing at me."  
Her tone was angrier of course, so I better not try asking something like that again.  
"Was Harumi there?" I asked.  
Anastasia took a sip from her tea. "No she wasn't and thank goodness for that."  
I let go of a breath that I didn't know I was holding. It was a real good relief. Harumi being absent for a killing so far seemed rare. She didn't care who it was, it would always seem like she would be there for any of those types of harmful exposure of our blood to our own bodies. Now that Anastasia didn't see her -or so she claimed- before she took her final fall, then that would mean that Harumi has something really big planned. With Muchiko taken hostage and her belt getting stolen by a damn falcon, my guess is that Harumi was going to try and mix both belts to try and make the world's biggest nuclear bomb.  
Either that or the world's biggest stink bomb. Regardless of which one would be thrown at us, we would still be dead either way.  
I don't know what she really had planned, but just thinking about it has really gotten me frightened. Anastasia got up from her chair from what seemed like hours. The next words that came out of her mouth were troubling indeed.  
"I saw someone familiar. One of Julie's military girls I believe. She was standing there like a statue, not saying a word, just watched me die."  
I was in complete shock. Obviously I couldn't video tape this conversation on a recorder, and I didn't know if she was telling the truth; which balanced the still fact of where we were. If she was telling the truth however, then Harumi was now as worse of a person than I ever imagined. I got up from my chair, very upset and angry.  
I banged the wooden table.  
"This has gone way too far!" I went around the table in a full circle, keeping my eye on Anastasia. "Our friend has been brainwashed. I know for a fact Ana, that this now makes things really complicated, but Harumi has something really big planned. All she's doing is looking for a country to unleash..."  
I suddenly stopped and realized that I should've been telling this information to an, more "well alive" individual. I shook my head. "Nevermind."  
Anastasia was worried.  
"Please don't get angry here. The landlord will not like it."  
I began to freak out.  
"What are you saying?" There was a knock on the door that startled me. I looked at Anastasia.  
"Are you expecting someone?"  
She shook her head.  
"No I'm not. But for you, you may see something very interesting."  
I walked slowly to the door, turning back to see Anastasia sip at her tea. She barely looked up as I first approached the living room before I headed to the door. With the simple couch and t.v staring at me, I felt alone and without comfort. These types of things always get the best of me. I know that I wasn't raised that way, but still, I couldn't help it. I took a deep breath, wiped away some of the tears, and thought of hopefully not seeing any fire and brimstone as soon as I opened the door. I touched the door first, which felt lukewarm, and then simply turned the knob.  
The hallway was blue, the doors were blue and the steps leading only downstairs were blue as well. The only thing that wasn't blue was a brunette haired little girl who looked around five years old with a beach ball in her hand. I walked slowly towards her, hoping I wouldn't scare her. It was the second living object I've seen that wasn't blue. She was wearing a ragged white shirt that stretched to her knees, and was bare foot. Her brown eyes met mine. Well, I didn't know if she was dead as well, but I sure hope not. Something this precious shouldn't be wasted, but this precious object looked really familiar.  
"Hello little girl. How are you doing? What are you doing here in this massive blue hallway all by yourself?" I said.  
She didn't move. Her eyes were innocent enough to become angels themselves. Also, her expression wasn't guided by my appearance; she didn't look even happy to see me. So I tried to be a bit friendlier. "Do you want to play catch?"  
The girl leaned forward. "Katherine McAndrews," she began, me being a bit in shock that she knew my name, but at least she didn't say my middle name. That was a good thing; I never liked saying my middle name in public. It would really make me sound smaller than I really am. "You will learn the value of becoming more than just a reasonable human being."  
I immediately scratched my head.  
"To what extent does that quote serve?" I asked.  
The door opened behind me, as Anastasia stood at the doorway. "You should listen to Samantha with a bit more perception this time. Maybe you'll figure out what she's saying."  
I looked back at the girl.  
"How wonderful. I have a cousin named Samantha...wait, are you my cousin?"  
The girl shook her head. Then she pointed at the window.  
"What's over there?" I asked.  
"Isn't the tower beautiful?"  
I was suddenly a bit confused, but as I approached the window, I understood what she meant…  
I felt a hand thrust my head to the floor, which was then over run with chattering. Julie kept staring at my face to see if I was alive as the opened barn gleamed with the light of the sun, shining its vitamin D particles at us. Natasha's hair was still ragged as her back was turned to me. I gave a slight gesture at her.  
"She'll be alright," said Julie. "I think I heard her almost crying a bit in her sleep."  
Natasha whirled around.  
"I told you not to tell her that!"  
"Sorry. It was a spur of the moment."  
I got up, dusted myself off and turned to both of them.  
"We need to talk somewhere private," I said.  
"No we're fine here. Tell us what's up."  
So I told them about the dream. My eyes stayed focused on Natasha as I mentioned Anastasia. I had to pause a few of times until Natasha stopped sobbing. As soon as I was about to tell them what I saw in the window, Natasha raised a hand.  
"Uhh, yes?" I said, mildly confused.  
"Did she say anything about me at all?"  
I thought back to every single scene that happened in the dream.  
"Well, just that one time asking about you and that was it."  
Julie walked around the barn, as a few sheep started to approach us. She gave a long deep sigh. "So there's someone out there who's extremely more evil and sadistic than Harumi and one of my friends has been...been...brainwashed!?"  
I simply nodded as I began to pet one of the sheep.  
"I know it's really insane, but that's what's going on. I heard it from the dead girl's mouth. Now I'm not saying she's lying, but by the look on her face, she is telling the truth."  
That was pretty hard to say; Anastasia's expression never did change at all. If it did, it was a very small change that was noticeable. I turned to Natasha.  
"Hey Natty. Are you o.k?"  
She just started simply outside, and quietly whispered to me, "Do you know where they are going?"  
Julie leaned over. I looked at them again.  
"Yes. Yes I do."  
"Then where?" said Julie.  
I remembered the words I said to Anastasia. "Harumi has been looking for a place to unleash her evil. I believe I have seen where it will be done. She has searched all over Europe and she has finally found the place she was looking for." Natasha and Julie looked at me, very eagerly. "The little girl named Samantha pointed me to the window in the blue hallway, and I saw the beautiful tower that she has called awe inspiring."  
Natasha looked at Julie, as if telling her to speak for her. Her face was cleared up from the tears last night. Julie put her hand up and said to me,  
"Tower? As in the one in France?"  
Natasha shook her head.  
"It can't be that. We've already been there."  
"It's not there," I said. "What me and Samantha saw was-"  
"Was what?"  
"Big Ben."  
The hearing of those words scattered the sheep. Julie punched the wall with a fist. Natasha face was in shock.  
"You mean to tell me that, Harumi's headed to England?" said Natasha.  
"If there's any other big city that has a big clock tower, I'll like to hear it," I said. "If not, then that is where we are going."  
Julie looked at me for order. Natasha smiled.  
"We'll find a ship right now assuming the police don't catch us," I said.  
"Leave that to me," said Julie.  
Natasha lifted me up on her back as the three of us left the barn. We needed to hurry. With my vision, we were able to keep track of Harumi's movements. Now it was only a matter of time before we were right on her tail. I had a feeling we were going to need ten tons of supplies on our journey. At least it was a country that spoke English and not a funny language.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The dream was still too much for me and for Natasha to handle as we got out of the barn. Out in the distance, we heard the sounds of police sirens as they still haven't given up looking for us. It was good that we were in the clear, but neither of us knew how long we would last running away for so long. From this part of the area, we didn't know if there were any boats around that would take us to England. It was really annoying and bothersome that we were actually lost. There were no maps to guide us and of course there were no area of any signs telling us where we were heading. This was a very "interesting to say the least", turn of events.  
Natasha was sweating like crazy. I thought she was o.k with walking for a while, but then I realized, she was thirsty. With all of that water that she lost, she was going to need it.  
For a long time.  
"Natasha, are you alright? Your getting me nervous," said Julie.  
"It's nothing Julie, I'm just thirsty," said Natasha.  
"What happened to the ice cream you ate in front of me?" I said.  
"The water contents of the ice cream are gone. I need more liquid."  
I couldn't blame her for that very small outburst. A good way -somewhat- to have control of their asthma is to have plenty of liquids. That way, their lungs can become moister and have better control of their own breathing for themselves. That sounded like a good plan, but there weren't any water bottles around. That was going to be a problem. Julie looked as though she was having more problems than Natasha; although I couldn't say much about Julie, she was too busy trying to make a smile come across from her face. It didn't work. Julie was very distraught about going to England that every time we would walk a couple of steps, she would hesitate and stop for a few seconds.  
"Hey, what's the matter? Why are you slowing down?" said Natasha, who was eager to go along with the trip as I was. She probably shrugged off her later attempt to borrow some very eager water. It was good that she wasn't dehydrated, but sometimes, I really don't understand this girl at all. "For someone who's from the military, you sure don't look brave enough."  
Julie stopped completely. She wasn't offended by Natasha's comment at all. Rather, she looked more afraid than before. She turned to look at us. "I'm just a bit afraid something really bad is going to happen the moment we step foot in England."  
"There's always something bad that's going to happen to us wherever we go. It's just our rotten luck that has us tied up to bad luck lately," said Natasha, very proud of herself. I guess the lack of water didn't ruin her sense of humor. "But remember, we always come through."  
I just simply stared at Natasha. The death of Anastasia didn't seem to slow her down when it came to her talking. It only took her one good night's sleep to get over her. I looked sharply at her eyes. The fear and sadness from yesterday was still hidden inside of her. It took me a while to get over the death of Rebecca. It only took Natasha a good ten hours to do so. Julie tried to shake off her doubts, but still managed to show fear.  
"I thought you girls didn't fear death," I said.  
Julie gave me a harsh cold look. "Are you trying to smart mouth me? Listen girlie, put yourself in my shoes: how would you feel if one of your friends was working for a sick psycho like Harumi huh? It's just insane."  
I approached her carefully. I know that she is a friend and that what she is going through is really tough, but I was prepared for anything Julie might lash at me out of anger. "Listen Julie, Anastasia could've been wrong about what she saw. It could've been someone else. I mean, it's not like she gave me a valid clear description of the person in question."  
Julie couldn't believe what I said. She stood there opened mouthed.  
Natasha tapped her in the shoulder. "Hey, shouldn't we be moving right about now? I really don't want to get caught."  
Julie put her hand on her face. "Can you give me a minute? I wanna correct this smart talker here."  
"Yeah but-"  
"One minute alright?"  
Julie approached and looked down at me. "So, you're telling me that Anastasia is lying? That my friend isn't alive?"  
Out of sheer reflex -and a little bit of anger because of an accusation that my friend was giving me at the moment- I smacked her.  
"Oh crap," I heard Natasha whisper out of her mouth.  
I was shocked. I never did remember a time, before I unwillingly joined this European tour, when I smacked someone. I never did liked getting accused of lying when I knew I wasn't the one who was doing the lying. The shocking part about what I did was my hand going across the wrong cheek.  
"Sorry Julie." Her face was in sudden anger. She grabbed my collar and pinned me between a tree.  
"Don't do that again or else I will pound you into the ground, you understand?"  
She held the last part of the word "understand" for a full four seconds; I couldn't help but smile and hold back a sudden laughter.  
Bad time to actually bring that out into the open.  
Julie was about to lay out a punch on me when she was stopped by two saving graces: Natasha's hands and a gunshot hole on the top of the tree right above me. Very quickly, probably because I was really useful in the world of maps and travel, Julie wiped off the pretend dust in my clothes, said a very quick "I'm sorry" in her native Italian -I hope that was an 'I'm sorry'- and we ran off. I didn't know who fired that shot, but it was a good thing that person saved me from a possible busted nose.  
"Thank you Julie for not killing me," I said with an innocent smile.  
"No problem," she replied.  
We ran by another road and another gunshot was heard.  
"Dang it. The cops found us?" said Natasha.  
"Not likely," I replied.  
Julie however, paused again. "That shot sounded like a sniper rifle."  
Both Natasha and I stared at her. Julie is in the military of course, but from a gunshot, she could actually identify the type of gun that was fired. It was creepy. She took a small sniff of the smoke trail that the bullet left behind.  
"It's an SVD sniper rifle," said Julie. "This guy has really good taste."  
"Freeze the three of you!"  
Natasha and I put hands up while Julie readied her gun, but slowly dropped her shoulders at the sight of the killer. She was wrong about the killer being a guy; it was a girl about her age, and it was someone who was really familiar. Julie slowly approached her.  
"Melissa DeFont? It's me, Julie. Your long time best friend, remember?"  
Melissa didn't move. She stood there holding the rifle pointed right at Julie. Julie was really afraid. If she was scared before just walking trying to figure out her way to England, then she was as white as a ghost getting approached by one of her friends holding a sniper rifle. That could probably just scare anyone.  
I suddenly slowly started to approach Julie when Melissa pointed the rifle at me. I had nothing to do with any of this, so there was no reason to be pointing a deadly weapon such as a very close range sniper rifle. Natasha immediately stepped in and went in front of me.  
"Melissa, I don't know what your problem is, but you're scaring me. This has to stop," said Natasha. She was trying to be brave enough, but it's a bad thing if you're brave enough and take a bullet to the head.  
Julie put her hand up and I stepped back, grabbing Natasha's shirt tightly with me. She approached Melissa. "Buddy, what's the matter? You don't recognize me?" Melissa kept her expression the same: very cold and very quiet. She didn't say a word.  
"Dang it girl. Why don't you talk?" said Julie. "Why in the world are you pointing the gun at me? Remember how dedicated we were into making this all female military group in school? You were the first one I recruited. You're stronger than this."  
Melissa didn't move or speak; her eyes and rifle still trained at Julie. I stepped forward between the two. I didn't want to feel scared anymore. After getting Julie upset by smacking her in the face, Melissa was getting me terrified; the difference obviously being that she had a gun.  
"C'mon Melissa, quit fooling around," I said, to try and get some distance between me and her. "I know you won't fire your gun at us. So just put it down slowly alright?"  
I paused for a brief second, hoping that Melissa would at least get the message.  
"I don't think she's responding to your message at all," said Natasha. "You better back away and let Julie handle this. She does know her a whole lot more than you do."  
I turned to Natasha as she made a gesture with her left hand telling me to go back to her position and to stop interrupting Julie as she tries to get through Melissa's head. I nodded and started to step back, when in a swift motion, Melissa grabbed me. I didn't know I moved that slowly. "Melissa! Let her go!" shouted Julie.  
Her gun was pointed dead in my right ear. She was polite enough to not at least strike my ear drum, but that was too early for me to hope for. If she fired her weapon, I had a whole lot to worry about than a little hearing loss. Julie began to produce tears. From how I was held, I couldn't see if they were fake or real. She would've made an unbelievable actress. Hey, she convinced me.  
"Melissa, let her go now," said Julie.  
I heard the sound of her releasing the safety off with one hand. Natasha turned from Melissa, to Julie, and back to Melissa with a scratch of her head. Julie was still crying. Melissa however, stayed with her cold look throughout the negotiation.  
"O.k Mel," she said flustered. "I didn't want to go drastic, but if this is the only way to get your attention then so be it."  
None of us had any idea what she meant. For the first time, Melissa's face was constituted into confusion instead of cold brainwashed anger. That at least showed some sort of "human" component inside her. Julie had her hands in her pocket and produced her pistol. That seemed normal enough. She pulled back the gun in another orderly fashion and placed it on her head. By the look of the gun, it was loaded on its full capacity.  
Please tell me she was joking.  
"Let Katherine go right now, or else your friend's brain will be splattered all over Spain," said Julie.  
Natasha went over to her. "Julie, cut the nonsense. Stop joking."  
"I'll be o.k," said Julie. Natasha examined her gun and noticed that it was loaded.  
"Put it down Julie. This is stupid," I said. "This won't prove anything."  
"Trust me Katherine," she replied. "This will prove to be everything."  
I kept looking at Julie to at least show some signs of bluffing or at least to point the gun in another direction other than her own head. There was none. Natasha kept on keen watch at Melissa while Julie crept closer to us.  
"C'mon Mel. You drop your gun and I'll drop mine," said Julie.  
Melissa finally spoke. "You wouldn't dare do something this inconsiderate to yourself."  
She seemed a bit as if she cared of what would've happened to Julie. With a swift change of tone, Melissa made it clear that I was wrong. "But if you want to end yourself, that's fine with me. I wouldn't mind either way. All I know is that your friend here is needed."  
"Needed? By who?" I asked, trying very slowly to get out of her grip.  
Getting past her gun on my ear was another story. I looked at Natasha for some guidance. She was as scared as I was, but she looked like she had a plan. That was good of course. Julie was still trying out the bluff suicide, so I was hoping to see something else that would work instead of something stupid. She still stayed in her position, actually scaring all of us. Melissa began to change her expression as well. She looked as scared as I was.  
"Don't...don't do it," she said, with the lack of fear in her tone.  
It sounded like a certain pillar of respect was shown within her. It was also shown to be a good move in her part. Julie however, wasn't buying it and kept her cool. There was no fear and no tears that came through her face. Julie kept straight, her gun still pointed at her own head. Natasha looked like a gambler comparing the two military teens in her head and with some small finger pointing at the both of them. As for me, I only had one thing to ask all of them.  
"Listen, I'm happy that you girls are talking again, but for me, Natasha, and Julie have really got to go. We got an appointment somewhere."  
Melissa looked down at me.  
"To England, correct?"  
I turned, completely right at her in the face; now the rifle was pointed at the base of my skull. In that moment, I didn't care at all. Whatever it took to make Melissa snap out of it would be really grateful. Julie put her finger on the trigger. Melissa stepped forward.  
"My boss cannot allow you to cross into England. Everything will fail if you do so."  
"I don't care what fails," said Julie. "I know for a fact that your boss is the one who will screw up. Take us to the nearest port if you know how to get there, or let us by."  
I kept track of her exact words and I crossed them in my mind. Not once did she say the words "hey come join us on our raid" but instead gave her a chance to either help us get through and stay safe or just step aside and still stay safe. Julie gave her the choice, basically to stay out of our way no matter what.  
"So are you going to let Katherine go?" she said. The pistol that was pointed on her head was now pointed at Melissa's head. "Or do I have to make the decision for you."  
Melissa's grip started to loosen around me, until I broke free and ran to Natasha, who gave me a heartwarming hug like a mom finding her daughter after a four month disappearance. A tear dropped from my face as I watched, crouched down, near a farm in Spain, to see two friends point their guns at each other. This was going to be really bloody.  
Julie and Melissa had an epic stare down. For a second, I saw Julie move her hand a tad lower than previously stated. This could prove to be not bloody by any means; a bit more on the strategic side of things now.  
"So Katherine," said Natasha, very unsure of herself. "Care to wager on who is going to shoot first?"  
I wanted it to be neither of them. They both looked trained and both looked like they had quick hands to pull the trigger. There wasn't much I knew about Melissa, but this I knew and this I only know: she was also only trained to kill and was friends with Julie.  
Not bad of a combination of a valid description of someone, but it was worse off since she was on the other side of the road.  
Very literal in that aspect of course.  
Melissa spoke first. That was a good thing: the silence that echoed around us was enough to drive me crazy.  
"You wouldn't kill me," she said.  
"Hey, it would still make you out of harm's way," said Julie. "I'm already considering that plan in my head if you don't get out of our way. Look, I don't want to see you hurt. Also, if this 'boss' of yours has a name like Harumi of some sort, she doesn't give a damn if you die or not. All she wants is her own change; her own change of killing as many innocents as possible and for what? Because they choose who they want to get together with? Listen Mel, either you follow us or follow her. You're smarter than this. You're actually smarter than I am. Just put the rifle down and tell us where to go, alright?"  
Melissa swallowed and told her something that I'm guessing should've been kept a secret. "Harumi isn't the one controlling nature as you girls have previously thought it would be." We all looked at her. Julie approached her and grabbed her collar, just like she did to me earlier.  
"Then who is it?" said Julie in anger.  
That caused to be a big, but fatal distraction. Melissa swiped Julie's pistol right in front of her.  
"Tell us who is it?" said Julie again, this time, with a bit more force in her voice.  
"I rather die as ordered to than stand here and listen to you question me," said Melissa.  
Julie was becoming a whole lot more frightened. Now we were the ones who were scared.  
"All I asked was only one question," said Julie. "C'mon Mel, how about you join us this time?" I guess she had a change of mind.  
Melissa didn't see it at all. "Julie, why should I join a fight whose sole purpose is to get rid of people who are not well in the head?"  
"What, you mean humans? Because that is what they are. Just humans," I said. "So you support murders as well?"  
"That's not what I was saying. I mean, what if Harumi is right?"  
"You mean what if she's right in trying to kill me? Gee Mel, I never thought you were the heartless one," said Julie.  
Melissa started to point the pistol at each of us, the fear in her face making her grip of the pistol shake. It wasn't a mistake that she thought of the situation like she did; of course Melissa had Harumi for an assist on that one. This was the specific reason why these problems are going on. I had a small plan.  
"Melissa," I said. "If you don't let us go to England, then the island will fall, and soon more will join its place. I don't care what you think of us or of the situation that's going on here. Just let us past through."  
I didn't know what I completely said or if it made a difference, but it certainly made Natasha smile. I knew that part of what I said would've been nice in Muchiko's script of words.  
"She's right," said Julie, looking as confused of what I said as she was. It was good that she felt the same way I did; only Natasha agreed with what I said, which to me was utter garbage. "What I want is for you to be safe. If you want to join us, go ahead as well. But you have to tell us who's in charge. If it isn't Harumi, then who is it?"  
Natasha, who was remotely quiet for the past few minutes, charged at Melissa. It was a mistake on her part. She gave me the sign beforehand as to not interrupt Julie during her negotiation. Turns out, she doesn't even listen to her own rules. It also turned out, that Melissa was really frightened at Natasha, that she pulled the trigger. I guess the mystery person died with her for now.  
Natasha froze from her run. Julie ran towards the body and grabbed her gun back. I began to look around and suddenly realized that we were completely out of time. Police cars started heading in our direction. My first thought was that Melissa led them here to buy Harumi extra time in England to do whatever she was doing. Apparently, I threw my thought in the back of my mind but didn't lock the door.  
That would be reserved for later.  
"GIRLS MOVE!" I yelled, like a true leader. Natasha took no hesitation and said no questions as she grabbed Julie, but didn't grab Melissa. We ran by the farmhouse and jumped on the back of a pickup truck. Lucky for us, there was a blanket there for us to hide. Julie didn't hide and had her gun drawn. I poked her in the leg.  
"Hey, shouldn't you be the one behind the wheel?"  
"Oh right. Sorry," she said, but Natasha jumped out of the truck. In a few seconds, she managed to turn on the car and we drove off.  
"How did she do that so fast?" said Julie.  
"It's simple really. Natty's an expert in hot wiring cars," I replied. "I'm just a bit surprised someone as rich as her would actually use her talents to steal cars. Sounds like a part time job in my opinion."  
Julie shook her head as Natasha's driving actually improved from her previous bike incident. This made me happy, due to the reason that I knew I wasn't going to die from another accident, but from more or less the police. A car came from behind us as the passenger opened fire with a shotgun. These Spanish police seemed to not care who they shot or how badly they wanted us dead. All this for something we did not do in a hospital.  
How fun.  
Julie fired back at the car and shot the passenger on the shoulder. She was smart enough not to kill a cop. It kind of surprised me as much that she would take that approach to dealing with that problem. At least she knew how to bottle up her anger and release it when she needed to. Julie proceeded to shoot down both front tires as Natasha sped down into a small road.  
"Hey Katherine, shouldn't you be looking through signs to tell me where the local harbor is located?" said Natasha, very loudly through the sounds of the highway.  
"Yes, yes alright!" I shouted. Julie kept track behind us, while I tried my best to pay attention. There was another sign leading to the town of Bilbao.  
"Turn right here!" I shouted, against the wind.  
There was bound to be an airport in the town, but Julie scratched that idea off of my mind.  
"There has to be a port here. We steal a ferry and head to England," said Julie.  
I was too tired to argue. Too much air for me. For once in my life, I did agree with the water this time. I didn't mind us going into a boat or ferry. The one thing I was worried about was how we were going to pay for a ride. It was a good guess that Natasha's credit cards probably ran out of electric charges from all the swimming and the high flying adventure we went through. There was an obvious "other" way to take a ferry. I sure hoped that wasn't what Julie was thinking of. If I was correct, then being in the military had its advantage. I didn't know what the situation with Natasha was regarding Julie's plan, but right now wasn't a good time to ask her.  
The police was still on our tail, and my job was to peek out of my cloth hiding spot and give Natasha directions. Like I was going to fall for that one and get my head blasted. I saw an odd tattoo on Julie's right arm. I never saw it before, much to my surprise. I guess her short sleeved shirts really did do the trick of camouflage.  
"Hey Julie, what's that?" I asked.  
Julie was still focused on what was behind us rather than looking at me. "What's what?" she replied.  
"That tattoo. I've never seen it before."  
"Oh don't worry about it. It's just a tattoo I wanted all of us to have."  
I barely saw what it was supposed to represent; never saw it clearly but it wasn't any sort of animal, not even some sort of military symbol. I was about to tug her sleeve upward to reveal it, but she grabbed my hand with her right hand and threw it away.  
"I promise to show you it later," said Julie.  
I completely forgot about Natasha and where she was going. I looked up as Julie shot down another car. She turned away from the direction of the airport and headed into the city. I guess she overheard our conversation. Natasha drove through the opening of the town and almost crashed into a local store before making a sharp turn and ramming into another car. I flew and hit my back on the rear window. Julie was lucky enough to stumble forward, almost falling out of the truck. Natasha got out of the truck, ignoring the angry protests to move her vehicle and gave a little knock on my head.  
"If your awake, please leave a message on the beep; 'Beep'," she said in a rather annoying tone.  
I gave her a small smile and a small rub of her hair. "Are you drunk? Didn't you learn your lesson with the motorcycle?"  
"Drunk?" she said as she lifted me off of the truck. "Nope. Only on Wednesday, but not on weekends."  
As I set foot back on solid ground, we were distracted by Julie actually toppling over the truck. I ran and picked her up. She dusted herself off, gave me a kiss on my forehead and nodded.  
Mind you, this was the same military female that grabbed my collar and almost strangled me to death a couple of hours ago.  
Natasha shoved off some additional anger that approached us as we went through the streets of Bilbao in search of some sort of ferry port or dock. Julie loaded her gun with another clip around the area where kids were playing.  
"Julie, I don't think that was appropriate to be doing that in a crowd of locals," I said. "What if someone gets hurt?"  
"The only person who will get hurt is Harumi for killing Melissa."  
Julie wasn't scared anymore of going through with the whole mini invasion of England. She felt strong and fearless. Seeing the last of her mini female army getting killed like this made her realize that she wasn't going to stand around anymore. Natasha felt the same way. I had an odd feeling that she was the one who was going to get to the new girl who lead the killing of Anastasia and who I believe was going to do something pretty drastic. I had my own person to fight for: Muchiko, and against: Lisle and I know that none of them or anyone else in this country was going to stop me.  
I noticed an awkward object on the street. Very randomly, it was as if it was left there for us to use.  
"Hey, there's a scooter. We can go past six blocks and then make a left to the harbor. From then on, it's all up to us," I said.  
Neither of them protested. Julie stared at Natasha, then back at me. "You drive the scooter."  
I was surprised. I had bikes before, but never something this complicated. I wanted Julie to do it. "Why can't you drive it?"  
"O.k fine. I'm not sure why you can't do it. It's actually pretty easy."  
"Hey, can we hurry this up? I can smell the police closing in," said Natasha.  
So Julie stepped up and went to start the scooter. Instead of letting Natasha hot wire it like she usually does with cars, Julie felt the front of the scooter for a minute or two, took out her pistol and shot at it. Eventually, it began to start on its own.  
"Hey, how did you even do that?" I asked, staring at her and trying to figure out if she was even human.  
"I've had lots of training in the world of military vehicles, including scooters. So I know how to press many buttons."  
"With that attitude, I'm sure you do."  
She got on, along with Natasha behind her and I was left to hold on to Natasha's back. It was really uncomfortable, but Julie made it a whole lot worse.  
"We only got ten minutes to make it to a pier."  
"Or else what?" I asked.  
"Or else our new ride explodes."  
I immediately thought of my stomach as she said those words. My stomach wasn't wailing in pain, but I was scared that sooner or later, it could happen. Natasha was being at least somewhat helpful.  
"Don't think about your stomach. It won't get upset."  
"Well if I forget it, it will get angry."  
It was a really stupid comeback line, but it was the only thing I was thinking of at the time. Thinking of Julie's comment beforeWe began to ride through a hill and almost jumped over a car. Julie began to go faster, while the warning of the bike exploding came ringing in my head. There was no time to discuss it with Natasha, as the turns that I told Julie to take kept swinging me off; if it wasn't for Natasha tightly holding on to me with one hand, then I would've gotten sprained knees and a broken back. That's not a good way to leave the country, if we were able to live that long.  
Two police cars proceeded to block our path. Julie managed to pop a wheelie over around two hundred and twenty pounds and went through the barricade with ease. I give credit from her training for doing thay insane stunt. Afterwards, she swerved to the left and kept heading straight, right into oncoming traffic.  
"Julie, are you crazy?!" I screamed.  
"Relax Katherine. I had a simulated war once in training. It went exactly like this," said Julie.  
"Thanks for the relief."  
Natasha's hand was starting to slip from my shirt. I grabbed on to her neck so I won't fall over. It was as light as possible, but Natasha was gagging and breaking off of my hold.  
"Hey watch it," said Natasha. "I'm not a pole you could just swing around from."  
I lowered my hands in around her chest.  
"Sorry about that," I said.  
Julie saw a big fish sign up ahead. "Hey Katherine, is that the harbor?"  
I saw a glimpse of the sign as Julie whisked by it. "Yes. That has to be it."  
I looked up ahead and saw that a small ferry which had boxes of fruit was already starting to leave. There was a slim chance of us trying to get on that ferry.  
"FASTER JULIE!" I yelled.  
"So now you're agreeing on us robbing that ferry?" she responded.  
"What? I never agreed to that."  
"Confusing, isn't she?" said Natasha.  
A siren interrupted our mediocre conversation. There was one police car left. Julie turned right and almost ran into a bunch of children.  
"Geez Julie, be careful. You almost drive worse than Natasha," I said.  
"Should that be a compliment?" she said.  
Natasha made a feint sound with her lips. She was probably disgusted.  
Julie drove through a small set of stairs and was heading straight to the ferry. This was plain nuts.  
"What the heck are you planning to do?" I said.  
"Hang on!" she said, looking as though we were bracing for a collision with the ferry. "When I say 'now', let go alright?"  
"Let go? Of what?" I asked.  
"What do you think?" said Natasha.  
"Oh crap."  
Julie stepped on the gas and leaped off a railing that separated the ground from the water. "NOW!" she shouted.  
Julie let go of the scooter, Natasha let go of Jullie, and I slipped and fell on the boxes. Guess I wasn't paying that much attention to the instructions. As Natasha picked me up, Julie quickly headed to the front of the ferry, shooting her gun in the air, as me and Natasha stood there dumbfounded.  
"Wow. She's actually going to try and steal the ferry," I said.  
"I know. I would advise you to duck right now as those policemen inland are taking aim at us," said Natasha, pointing for a second and then pushing me down below the boxes.  
I heard gunfire above my head as I struggled to think of what would've happened to Natasha and Julie. I heard screams of people actually jumping off of the ferry. I would get scared too, if there was a maniacal military female speaking another language and shooting wildly. I crouched under the boxes, hoping to hear Natasha's voice. For a few minutes, I heard nothing as I feared the worst. If something were to happen, then I really don't know what to do. Then, I saw Natasha's hand from above the boxes as I felt the ferry start to move. She hoisted me up as the country known as Spain was now behind us.  
"Think we're going to make it in time?" I asked Natasha.  
She scratched her head.  
"Let's hope so. Their food better be awesome. I've been dying to try it out."  
"First we save who we have to save, then we eat."  
"Sounds like a stupid plan to me. I can't save people on an empty stomach."  
"Well, get used to it quick. We don't have that much time left."  
"Let's hope we actually do have time."


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight

I woke up still in the ferry with random cargo, as I noticed that we were still in the middle of the Bay of Biscay and hoping to find a sign that pointed us to the English Channel. I was alone, lying on the top of a huge cargo box, thinking of how crazy this entire trip has been. I felt really shaken of how this would all turn out. Things were bound to get worse than ever. I was more frightened as to what Biblical punishment Harumi was going to use on Muchiko, much less on whoever was standing in her way. The good thing about this journey however, was that I wasn't getting seasick. The smell of the sea really clogged up my nose. I guess my body was reminded that I did not like the sea.  
I stood still and heard feint beeps. The only thing I could think of that was annoying me was the bomb in my chest. It was a miracle that I wasn't dead yet, but I'm sure that won't last long. After all, my stomach wasn't in pain lately, but it will be soon. It's always like that. And that is what makes it annoying.  
I sat up slowly when I saw Natasha in front of me, chewing another piece of gum and fixing her nails. At least she was calm enough to deal with all of this. I wasn't sure how, but she does it with flare.  
Calmness and flare. Something I wish I had.  
"Hey Natty. Are we there yet?" I asked.  
Natasha looked at me, a little surprised. I was hoping that this wasn't another dream. That's how I know Natasha. For her, it's always a dream. "Hey. What's with the nail filing?"  
"Uhh, because I'm a girl and I need to take care of myself. Is that a problem?"  
"No no it's alright. You do what you have to do to try and keep yourself alive for the time being to keep from boredom."  
I took a small breath and jumped over her and walked through the ferry walkway to where Julie was managing through pinpoint control. Just like Muchiko, she looked prepared for anything. A good and safe difference was that Muchiko used an arsenal of her own "magical powers", while Julie just used firearms.  
They're both insane of course.  
"Hey Julie, I see you're looking at a map. Do you need any help?" I asked. "Or are you all right?" Julie kept looking forward and kept shifting her eyes from the ocean to the map before she answered me, "Nah I'm good. You need rest. Go rest."  
She didn't turn around or anything. I turned around and lied down in one of the seats on the ferry. The beeping in my stomach was getting louder.  
"Shut up," I whispered.  
It was obviously getting a whole lot more annoying than ever. I was happy that I was alive, but it won't last long at all. I tried to remain calm, but my stomach kept rumbling in a wake of getting bored. If there wasn't anyone in England to remove the bomb from my body, then I was literally screwed.  
Natasha poked me in the eye.  
"Are you asleep?" she asked.  
"Yes, until you poked me."  
The beeping got louder.  
"Wonderful. You know this is your entire fault," I said. "You could've just not hit me in the stomach."  
"Me? No way. According to your story, you could've just not let him rape you," said Natasha.  
Her mentioning him made my stomach turn. It also made my stomach worse.  
"What if I accidently explode the ship?" I said.  
"You won't do a thing o.k?" called out Julie. "If anything, I'll be the first one to jump out. I don't know about you, Natasha. You're already in a bad position."  
Natasha marched right into Julie's space and they began to argue. After I thought I was going to get some well deserved quiet, my stomach began to rumble as the pain swooped in. I felt a lot more like I was going to vomit. I went to the window to try and get it out of the window, but to no avail. It was as if the bomb and my stomach knew I was heading to a window and decided to fall back. I suddenly felt dizzy and felt that the blood heading to my brain was vibrating and had its own heart beat. I couldn't hang on to the railing as I fell to the floor of the ship. I lied there, taking short breaths and making sure I wasn't dead. I also couldn't even speak. My vocal cords seemed to have shriveled up and my screams seemed to have been tied up to a noose and taped up. The pain died down very slowly about ten minutes later. My face was in tears and the sudden crash of the water with the ferry didn't seem to help with my headache. Trying to throw up was probably my lesson of trying to throw up. I sat up and looked over the ocean, taking a deep breath of the unsettling warm air. The pain was getting a whole lot worse than before. The beeping also subsided...for now. The obvious part within this scenario was the bomb had to be removed sooner than later. I heard some bells to my right. I ran to where Julie and Natasha were. "Hey, what's the status?" I said.  
"What's the status? You really got to work on a better line," said Julie. "Looks like the French National Guard doesn't want us around to play."  
"Where were you?" asked Natasha.  
"I had bomb trouble, as usual. I really got to get rid of this thing."  
"I hear you," she said touching my forehead. "You got yourself a huge fever. I'm as shocked that you're not collapsing in front of us." I shooed her away as I paid attention to our new neighbor. The boat in front of us was as tall as ours and a lot more dangerous. Their big turret guns outnumbered ours ten to zero. Julie looked as though she had an idea.  
"Don't make any sudden moves or noises. It's probably just some sort of navy training going around. No one screams at them as well understand?" she ordered.  
Natasha and I both nodded.  
"Do you want us to hide?" I said.  
"No no it's fine." Julie began to maneuver the boat a lot more slowly that before. We watched the boat very nervously. We didn't dare mess with a boat with as many guns as that one did. This scenario now asked the question of what it was doing here in the first place. Julie, who was the first to identify the ship as a French ship and not a battleship, was even more nervous than we were; her facial expression was more in the look of waiting for a mouse to get that piece of cheese on the mouse trap.  
"Easy Julie, easy," said Natasha. "We're just shipping cargo."  
"Yes. We're just shipping cargo," repeated Julie, as though she was being hypnotized.  
The boat came passed us to the left. I saw their captain tap his hat towards us in a nice gesture. "We're almost past them. Please don't screw up," I whispered.  
The boat went past us, when Julie suddenly made a quick left turn hitting them. Dang, what an idiot.  
"Hang on to something!" she screamed as she put our boat back on track and shifted gears in a hurry. I turned to see the boat stop for a moment, and then proceeded to turn around.  
"Oh great. Now they think we have drugs on the boat," I said.  
"Shut up! Shut up!" screamed Julie. "I don't want them to chase me."  
"Why not?"  
"I knew there were drugs here! Julie, I told you not to steal this ferry," said Natasha.  
Julie kept her eyes focused on the sea. "It's not drugs alright?!"  
I turned around and saw that they were aiming for us.  
"Girls look out! They're about to fire!" I shouted.  
"Great, let's start the fireworks then!" said Julie.  
Natasha was about to knock her out with a very randomly placed fire extinguisher. I took it away from her just in time.  
"No no. I'm sure her insanity can come in handy at this situation," I said.  
"Right. I'll continue the argument once we're blown up," said Natasha.  
"Trust me."  
I stopped speaking for a second as an explosion of water crashed to our left, leaving me and Natasha soaking wet. I picked up the extinguisher and gave it to Natasha.  
"Make sure you hit the top area," I said.  
She nodded as she swung it right on the mark with the back of Julie's head.  
"You didn't kill her, right?" I said.  
"No no relax. I've seen people get hurt with worse things in Russia and still get up without a scratch," Natasha responded.  
"Are you crazy? She's Italian!"  
"Oh right. Well this was your fault."  
"Me? Hey, just drive the ferry alright? I'll navigate the map."  
I quickly placed Julie's body on one of the seats as I stood next to Natasha. Another crash of water was right in front of us.  
"Natty step on it! Head right," I shouted.  
"I'll try, but it's my first time driving one of these things."  
I was a little confused.  
"What? You never headed the controls of a tanker or a submarine of some sort?"  
The last comment probably ticked Natasha off. Oopsie.  
"Don't stereotype me o.k.?"  
I felt a little embarrassed. I was at least happy that we were making some quick headway. I saw land up ahead. Sure enough, by the map, it was England.  
"We go straight ahead?" said Natasha.  
"No. When I say, turn right. London is to the right of the island."  
"O.k."  
"Full speed ahead!"  
The battleship was starting to catch up. Natasha's hand turned red like a tomato. Getting the ferry in high speeds must've been really stressful. It looked a lot more stressful when a bunch of boats were blocking your path to the island. They were lined up in a wall. As we approached them more closely, they looked more like the tops of three submarines. There was what looked like an army on top of them. Natasha halted to a stop as the battleship behind us stopped as well. She tapped me on the shoulder.  
"I'm going to wake up Julie. I don't think our hosts are going to be the polite type to let us go." "Why you say that?" I asked.  
Natasha glanced up ahead and gave a quick nod to the submarine's direction.  
"Because I'm don't like seeing his familiar face all the freaking time."  
Natasha stepped away to tend to the unconscious Julie, while I climbed out of the window that was in front of me and stepped carefully onto the bow of the boat. I was almost losing my balance, and the voice on a megaphone ahead of me almost made me fall. It was obviously on purpose; it was that very same voice that caused this entire debacle inside my stomach.  
"What's wrong Katherine? Find yourself staring at a wall?"  
"Lisle! Let us pass!"  
I shouted. I was still very angry at him, but he was lucky he was around a mile away from me separated from water. I could try to swim, but I had a feeling I would get picked off in the sea. Lisle's voice suddenly became cockier.  
"I strongly advise you to turn back now. There's no place for you here."  
I wasn't going to risk having my vocal cords blown out by mindless shouting a mile away. So I simply said the only two words I had the courage and the will power to muster.  
"No Way!"  
Lisle put his hand up, and slashed it down. The crew of females -as usual- pointed their guns at the ferry. I crawled back inside and was surprised to see Julie and Natasha holding flare guns. "Uhh, can I have one?" I asked nicely.  
Julie slowly shook her head.  
"Find a row of seats and duck. Understand?"  
I wasn't going to question her. After all, she had a red flare gun in her hand. My only request was simple. "Please girls, don't die."  
I ran inside a small closet door filled with mops and locked it. Already within ten minutes from hiding, there were loud assortments of explosions and screams. Thank goodness I wasn't around to see it. The ferry began to shake and as a result, even with the locked door I still managed to break it open with my back. I turned to my left and realized that the hull of the ferry was on fire. I also overheard Julie shouting at Natasha.  
"Get the back! The back!"  
I turned my head slightly to the right and saw that Julie was shooting completely straight ahead. I couldn't see what she was aiming at, so I turned towards Natasha's direction.  
"Hey buddy, you need help?" I asked.  
Natasha looked at me as if I was coming in twenty minutes late for school.  
"What is it?"  
"What, were you asleep just now? I need your help."  
"O.k. sure. I can help anyway I can."  
"You darn well better."  
She handed me the extinguisher as if I was her maid. I got to work as Natasha headed back to Julie's side at the front of the boat. The battleship was gone, so that left me alone to clean up the mess. I wasn't too sure as to how the ship disappeared from its position, but as I began to spray through the fire, I was scared that they would surprise me with an ambush. Carefully I surveyed the scenery in front of me. Nothing. Only the calmness of the sea.  
A couple of seagulls flying above me weren't making the sea any quieter than it originally was supposed to be. It just made things a whole lot more nervous for me. To me, I really don't consider seagulls any friendlier than pigeons. Thanks to Jessie one day. We decided to eat in a seafood place. Me and her decided to eat outside, since our parents were away. We didn't know what they were doing and frankly, whatever they were doing, we were glad it was somewhere away from us. Probably went out for some party, but Jessie didn't believe a word that they said. Anyway, Jessie secretly placed a couple of pieces of fries on my plate. I didn't want fries at the time, so when I came back from the restroom, I saw quietly across from her. Then Jessie screamed, "Come and get it!" A swarm of seagulls started attacking me and my food. I ran away crying. She told me what she did around two years later. I literally rang her neck. To this day, I really don't trust anymore seagulls. I don't care if they were from another country. Thanks to Jessie, I still think they are coming after me.  
"No trouble guys alright?" I said, trying to be as nice as possible. "I really don't have any food to give you."  
I finished cleaning the mess when there were sounds of gun fire. They weren't aiming at me thank goodness, but I saw some of the seagulls getting shot at and screams of "Stop!" echoing through the blue sky. The good thing about that scream was that it was a male that sounded worried. Either Natasha or Julie was making Lisle's day really horrible. This was something that made my day even better and it was something I was not willing to miss if my life actually did depend on it. Sure enough, it really felt like it did.  
I left the seagulls alone to hover around, while I ran through the ferry. I could only imagine what kind of torture both Julie and Natasha were putting him through. I reached the area and touched Natasha's shoulder, surprising her for a bit while Julie had her gun pointed at Lisle while Isle was holding his shoulder in absolute pain. His female army was nowhere to be seen and his prized submarines were on fire.  
"I missed anything good?" I asked, hoping for any good answers.  
Natasha pointed below at the water, with a look of fear in her face.  
"What?"  
"We're actually sinking at the moment," said Julie. She wasn't even acknowledging that I was next to her, nor at least turning right at me. "So if I were you Kathy, I would find us an escape boat. We don't have a lot of time."  
"How much time do we really have?"  
"Well, judging from the speed of how much we are sinking, I'd say about five minutes."  
"Nice."  
I ran past both of them and began to run downstairs, hoping that my luck would bring me face to face with an emergency escape boat. The downstairs area looked really bleak. It looked exactly like the upstairs area, except for the added feature of water sweeping in. Oh freaking crap.  
I ran around and tripped through a number of "invisible" looking chairs that decided to hide themselves right next to the water. There was no way I could've avoided that route. The only escape boat was along the freezing water. No choice there. I was about to go through with the daunting task, when Natasha's voice broke through my nervousness like shattering glass. "Katherine, did you find anything?"  
"Yeah. Can you give me a hand here?"  
"Sure."  
Natasha ran through the water as if it wasn't even there. There was a hole that I just noticed to my right. I wasn't focused on that at the moment, but my instincts later reminded me that I should at least have taken a look. I saw that the subs were leaving, thanks to a couple of explosions from help that I couldn't see, thinking that their job was all done. I was pretty sure by our standards that it wasn't and we really needed Julie's help.  
"O.k Natty they're gone," I said. "Can you handle staying here by yourself while I go get Julie?" "Sure thing. Don't take long alright? You better not let me drown."  
I gave a small salute as I opened a door next to the emergency boat which contained paddles. I threw them at Natasha, which knocked her over by surprise and headed upstairs. Julie was really sweaty.  
"You alright?" I asked. She smiled and rubbed my hair. I was used to that gesture so much that it started to bother me. Of course I didn't want to show that it bothered me at all. It would probably show that I was rude.  
Julie began to sniff my hair a little bit. "Did you put some strong shampoo on your hair this morning?" she asked.  
"Huh? What are you talking about?"  
"Well, it's just that I finally noticed your hair smelling nice all of a sudden. What did you do to it?"  
"Nothing. Can we talk about shampoos another time? I left Natasha down there. I really hope for our sake that she didn't drown. I ordered her not to."  
We ran downstairs where we saw Natasha was trying to tear open the hole on the water.  
"Can you girls not stand there and give me a hand?"  
The water was rising rather quickly for our taste. It went almost to my neck. Luckily, Julie had the intelligence to lift me up first before I drowned. Julie took a couple of shots at the hole to make it wider. That certainly worked and did its job of still remaining a very dangerous tactic. I stayed under the boat in hiding while Natasha was almost shot in the arm. And here I am thinking that Julie had a good aim.  
"Hey can you at least watch where you're shooting that thing?" said Natasha. "I know darn well for a fact that drowning is a whole lot painful than getting shot in the arm, so just cool it alright?"  
"Fine."  
Natasha gave it a few kicks off the heel of her shoe. Within seconds, it was opened wide enough for us to cross through. Natasha jumped on the boat and grabbed a paddle while Julie did the same.  
"Hold your breaths for this one," I said.  
The water didn't do damage to our boat like I would've thought, but both Natasha and Julie were paddling hard like the boat was literally on fire. Julie was out of breath from fifteen minutes of paddling and Natasha just collapsed as we were far away from the ferry that sunk down into the sea below. A sigh of relief was heard within ourselves. I immediately poked at Julie's shoulder. "O.k. So what exactly happened through that battle that I missed?" I said.  
Julie regained her composure.  
"Simple. We just scared him."  
"How is that possible?"  
"With little luck and persistence, you'll be able to solve that problem." As she gave a little laugh, I felt exactly like a third wheel. I was really no good when trying to information, but it wasn't like she stripped for him. I sure hope not. I leaned over to Natasha.

"Natty, can you tell me what happened?"  
She woke up like she took a very short nap.  
"Huh? What happened?" she said blindly.  
I repeated the same question while sticking a finger through her ear to make sure she was actually hearing me perfectly.  
"What did you girls do to get rid of Lisle and the battleship?"  
"Hey it wasn't us."  
"Yeah yeah whatever. I know it was you."  
"Nope."  
"Then who was it then?"  
She pointed straight up at the sky. "That helicopter."  
I suddenly turned my head up and sure enough, there it was. It looked like a very large Chinook from the angle that I was looking at it from, with a very neat looking British flag on it. Hanging out with Rebecca tends to come with you learning things that are very unnecessary for your survival, such as the names of different helicopters. It was something of an interesting hobby, but it was something that I was forced to be a part of. Even it had to be a small part from a book. All for Rebecca I guess.  
The helicopter began to lower down within our level and a ladder followed. Other helicopters began to fly by the wreckage of our ferry. We climbed the ladder one by one starting with Julie, then Natasha, and finally myself. I began to climb as the helicopter began to move. Now I was afraid of slipping off since my hands were really wet. I made it to the top as I saw a young girl who looked no older than twenty two years looking at a map and talking with someone who had a hat on. She looked deeply focused and had that cool British accent that I always found so charming. If we lost the American Revolution, then even I would have the accent. It didn't bother me at all. It just made me a little jealous.  
Julie and Natasha were talking in the back, while the guy in the hat left me and the new girl side by side.  
"You alright?" she asked.  
"Oh. Umm, yes I am. Thank you for asking. As are my friends as well," I said with a smile that I couldn't hold back. Her accent was really cute. I almost fell into a daydreaming spell from her accent, when I suddenly snapped awake and realized what was at stake.  
"We're really glad to see you. I don't know if my friends introduced themselves yet. My name is Kathy and I was wondering if anything weird is going on in London; you know, like some sort of terrorist Asian teenage girl causing problems within your city?"  
The girl looked confused.  
"Huh? I don't know what you mean."  
"Julie, a little help explaining our situation here."  
Julie came behind me and said, "Basically, did you see a girl with some sort of orange baseball cap roaming around back in London?"  
The girl began to get a little frustrated.  
"I told you, no alright? Question something weird like that to me again and I'll have you all in custody."  
Julie looked straight at me.  
"Diversion," we both said in unison.  
"A diversion? What do you mean diversion?" the girl asked.  
"What we mean is-"  
Julie paused as she saw the famous clock tower of Big Ben right in front of us. It looked exactly like all of those pictures and textbooks that I have seen. The rest of the city looked rather marvelous as the sun began to set.  
Julie cleared her throat and continued, "It's nothing. No diversion."  
The man with the hat, the co-pilot and the girl all pointed their guns at Julie.  
"You've got some nerve you realize that?" said the girl. "I will repeat: what diversion?"  
"Hey hey. I ask that you guys stand down your weapons. I'm a member of the Italian Florist military."  
The only person we heard laughing was Natasha. I turned and felt the helicopter land. There were a bunch of guards waiting for us. They didn't look dressed like Lisle's women from the submarines earlier but they were really not joking around.  
"I never heard of that group," said the girl.  
"You want my I.D?" said Julie.  
Carefully, she reached for her wallet as we all looked at her with much added interest. She took out an I.D, but was swiped away from the man with the hat. He placed it on some sort of small scanning machine. There was a click followed by a "beeping" sound.  
"It's clean and valid," said the man. "She really is in a licensed military."  
The girl took a deep breath. She turned to look at us and realized that we weren't in suits like Julie. I guess she had some sort of feeling of what was going on. Or in her tone, she knew what was going on, but preferred to be spoken alone.  
"I would like to speak to the women alone here please," she asked.  
"Are you sure this is an appropriate place for a conversation?" said the pilot.  
"Yes yes I'm sure, now buzz off."  
They all left, but not before the man with the hat whispered something to the girl's ear. She nodded and he was gone. We all stared at her, waiting to see what she would say next. Finally she spoke. "My name is Raven. Your Julie I presume?"  
"Yeah. That's Natasha and Kathy" said Julie, pointing at each of us.  
"Great. To answer your questions, I do apologize for lying to you. I did see an Asian girl with an orange baseball cap come around here a few days ago. The moment she arrived, there was already a protest regarding gay marriage. It was as if it spurred out of nowhere. We weren't prepared and we weren't ready for it. Then we heard that two of our submarines were captured and attacking a ship off the coast of France. We had no choice but decided to attack. They disappeared and here you girls are."  
So there goes the info we needed to hear: Harumi is here and already causing trouble before we even had a chance to put on our party hats.  
"Hey Raven, can I ask you a very odd question?" I said.  
She rubbed her nose and sneezed.  
"Yeah sure go ahead."  
I looked right at Natasha to make sure she knew what I was going to ask. She slowly nodded. That was a good start: if there was something odd that I was going to ask, I was happy that I would get approval from Natasha first. Anyone else would pretty much scold me. Julie looked away, like the question that I was going to ask would mean the death of me. She was half right on that one; what I will ask would at least determine whether we earn a new friend or a jail cell.  
"Were any gays or lesbians killed when Harumi showed up? Maybe during the protests?"  
Raven flinched at my question. She regained some of her composure and let out a tear.  
"There was an explosion at a bar. Of course, it was a gay bar. With that distraction, almost all of our belongings were stolen. Mostly the subs and other weapons, so this time we are keeping our guard up and not letting anyone harm us."  
"Are you at least worried about what will happen?" said Julie.  
"We'll find this girl. That will be our main focus," I said. "But I don't think that will be easier said than done. Even we can't get hurt, and we're the ones who are chasing her all over Europe. I'm sure you've heard the news of all the trouble she's caused."  
Raven took her glasses off and cleaned them with her shirt. She was really beautiful without them. She looked very inspiring and a ray of hope dimmed within her face.  
"Tell me everything that has been going on to the best of your ability," she told me.  
So as we all got out, I began to tell her what was happening within our adventures. We were entered inside a military base surrounded by a huge classic F-16 fighter jet. I stopped talking to view it in its entirety. It looked rather different than those times during war when I see it in the air.  
"Raven, is this your jet?" I asked unwillingly.  
She let out a small giggle. Adding the accent that she was born with, it made the giggle more or less sound like it was made by a ratty schoolgirl. It still sounded cute.  
"No no Katherine. It isn't mine," she said.  
We were lead into an office through the huge garage door. There were many pictures of her all over the office. One was of her in a maid outfit, which Julie stared at. Books were in a shelf and a window stared out into the helicopter that we came out of. Pictures of her with someone that looked like either her mom or sister were present. Julie and I sat down, while Natasha remained standing eying Raven. Raven returned her stare.  
"I really like your hair. I always wanted my hair red-orangie like yours."  
"Gee thank you," said Natasha.  
"Of course, this isn't the time to discuss hair fashion."  
"Right. My apologies."  
She looked around the room. "It's almost getting dark and I do apologize for not having anywhere else for you girls to stay."  
"I'm sorry but can we worry about sleep later? We need a plan to try and stop this menacing lunatic before it is too late," I said.  
"I don't think Harumi herself would think about trying to go to sleep at this moment."  
Raven nodded. "So Katherine, what would you like us to do?"  
I blushed a bit. "Well we can first-"  
"Wait a minute," said Julie in a tone of surprise. She held the maid picture very high in the air. It was as if Julie's happiness was found inside a golden artifact. Natasha tried to wrestle it away from her, but Julie was strong and yanked it away. The picture frame had its sharp edges and I could easily see Julie bleeding, but she didn't care.  
"Raven, I think your life is in danger," she said.  
Natasha was in the process of getting up as I was able to take the picture easily out of Julie's hand. The picture looked normal enough, it was her with a woman and they were both smiling. It was next to a building which was draped in yellow ribbons. I scanned it around five times. There was nothing about the picture that made Raven's life in danger. Natasha, who was behind me, took the picture and looked at it as well.  
"What is it Julie?" she asked.  
Julie swallowed.  
"Was that picture taken in some sort of 'pride' parade?"  
Raven slowly nodded.  
"Then that means you're-"  
She slowly nodded again.  
Then she added, "Does this surprise you Julie?"  
Julie looked at me. "It doesn't surprise us Raven. We're the ones in support of this cause. I give you my word that we will not harm you."  
She smiled.  
"Thank you very much. Listen, you shouldn't have any worries about me," she said. "I can handle things myself, although I am happy to have an odd cast of female bodyguards."  
"Hate to say it if you're thinking of any ideas, but we're all straight."  
"Oh. Well that isn't a problem. As long as we go through this crisis together, then we'll be fine together."  
Natasha grinned.  
"Raven, did you see anyone else with Harumi?"  
Raven scratched her head thinking.  
"No. The time I saw her, she was alone." She eyed me suspiciously. "Why do you ask?"  
I stood up bravely. I had to speak up or speak out of turn.  
"Harumi has taken her very own flesh and blood sister as a hostage. From these entire chase scenes that we have all been doing together, my guess is that she's planning something to do with your sacred building, Big Ben."  
"Umm, it is not a sacred building Katherine," she replied.  
"Well it is the tallest building of this island, so that is where we must go."  
Raven nodded again. "O.k Katherine. Just tell me where and when and I'll organize an army very quickly."  
"No army. Just the four of us."  
"The four of us? Against someone of this caliber? Are you bloody mad?"  
"Trust us Raven, we can do this," said Julie, getting her gun ready. "It's a rescue mission and we would be honored of someone of your caliber to help us with this mission."  
I felt more confident than before when Raven smiled. We had our own random looking European squadron: British, Russian, Italian, and, to a random lesser extent -more notable, thanks to Jessie for pointing this out- a small twenty percent of Irish. This was turning more and more into a Role Playing Game than ever before.  
"I accept your offer," said Raven.  
Just then, there was the sound of lightening in the air.  
"I didn't hear anything in the news of rain today."  
"Well, if what you say is true, it would mainly be because of the simple fact that it is hail," I replied.  
"All this because of Harumi," said Julie.  
There were military officials scattering outside running for cover. We stepped out of the office where the window began to crack and break.  
"This is her doing? How is this woman doing this?" Raven asked.  
"We haven't got a clue," said Natasha.  
I was about to speak when the stomach pains began to return. I slipped and knocked my head on the wall. I didn't fall unconscious, but the pain was more severe since the ferry ride.  
"Are you alright?" Raven asked me. "You look really pale."  
"This is more than just pale," said Natasha.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Umm, did I tell you the part about the bomb inside me that I have no idea when it will explode?" I said, literally in pain.  
Raven looked up, her face literally telling herself that it was the end of the world. At least she said something that made me feel a little bit more relieved.  
"Get her into bloody surgery now!"  
Her scream surprised Natasha but not Julie as she and Raven helped me up. Team Europe was already off to a bad start as we headed not to Big Ben, but into surgery. That route was stopped by an outside explosion. Like I said a very bad start.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Getting wheeled into a military hospital surgery room wasn't one of my best choices for an attempt at a bomb to be removed, but it was the only place close enough to have it removed. Unless I wanted to go outside into the night and look for a hospital while fighting off the hail that looked to be the size of Julie's fists, this was one of the better options. I wasn't sure however, of this option: Military hospitals, in my opinion, were clean and very sanitary in a safe manner, but none of these men and women looked at all trained. I didn't even see a bomb squad at all around. I had my eyes barely opened, traveling through a bunch of lamps and hitting my head on a doorway. My stomach pain was long gone, but now I had a headache to worry about.  
"Sorry about that," said Julie.  
Raven was to my left, looking red with tears and was really worried. The change of scenery from blue painted walls in the hallway to blue painted tiles told me that we were in their operation room. They lifted me off the bed and placed me in another bed. I couldn't turn my head around fully to see the rest of the so-called "experts in medicine" work on me.  
Natasha was the first one to at least say a decent word on me. "Remember. Scream if the pain is too much."  
My eyes stayed open as she disappeared to my left. A few seconds later, Raven came over to my right.  
"Katherine, is your stomach pain gone?"  
"Yeah it is," I said.  
"Good. Then this will be easy to accomplish."  
"Have you done something like this before?"  
Raven scratched her head. That was the second time she did that. I wasn't saying that Raven is always a confusing person who didn't know anything about starting a surgical procedure, just the gesture alone started to become really annoying. It also made me all the more nervous coming into this procedure in the first place. Obviously I didn't have a choice.  
"Yes I have in fact. I practiced on a pineapple."  
My eyes were even wider than when Natasha saw me. My head was tilted a bit more above my neck where I saw Julie conversing with Raven. It was nice enough that they were talking together about me -I hope-, but it looked rather sneaky to me. At one time in the conversation, Julie looked frightened and started shaking her head. Raven then pointed at me and Julie sighed. Natasha came over to them, took one look at me, and looked as though she was threatening Julie with something. Then she stepped out of the room. Finally the rest of the doctors, those with blue suits and masks, without any type of military color about them, all talked with Raven. I second guessed coming here and tried my best to sneak away.  
The group broke up the huddle and they surrounded me with sweaty nervous looks in their eyes. I couldn't see their faces, but their eyes looked frightened. The right side of doctors made room for Raven to see me.  
"Well what's the plan?" I asked, with a huge amount of fear in my voice.  
She cleared her throat and Julie came to my left.

"Well Katherine, this is the situation that we are dealing with. Julie explained to me a bit more in detail about the bomb inside of you. The obvious part of my worry is what we do first: disarm the bomb first or remove it. Now, I know you want it taken off, but we are dealing with a couple of dilemmas here. We're not sure if disarming it first would inject some sort of poison into your system; in case the person who placed it had it designed that way as a trap. We're not sure if removing it would set off the bomb regardless of the time left. Of course, we're also worried of any internal damage that this will cause to you during this procedure. We will do all we can to make sure you sustain minimal damage as possible. Oh and I am really sorry as to how the bomb was placed inside your body in the first place. I know this is offensive for me to say, but that was really sneaky."  
"I know. That's why I want him dead," I said.  
"Anyway, did you get all of that info? Any other questions before we begin?"  
I shook my head and sighed. Every single feeling that I mustered lying there while Raven was explaining the factors to me was gradually sinking in. If it was removed, then I would be dead by either an explosion or poison. If they disarmed it, then I would be dead by some sort of internal trap and more stomach pains. What worried me the most was that Julie was helping Raven with the operation. I really don't consider someone, who can handle guns the way she does, a qualified doctor. There was no way out of it. Natasha was nowhere to be found anywhere in the small room; obviously praying for my health and for Julie not to screw up. I held Julie's hand, and stared right at her and gave her my own message; one that I hoped stayed in her head long enough during this ordeal.  
"Do not screw up or else I'm shoving this bomb down your throat. Understand?"  
Julie nodded slowly and walked away from my sight, while Raven, blue suit and gloves at the ready, placed a mask in front of me.  
"Just count backwards from one hundred," she said.  
I didn't have much time to at least open my mouth and speak. The knockout gas had my mouth numb and my eyes suddenly closed shut like a blown out candle. The flash of light was gone and I was suddenly in another dream land. There weren't any type of blue buildings or a hotel or a plane for that matter. I was in a large cornfield, where a barn was situated just two miles to my left.  
I ran inside the barn without losing my breath. It was empty except for two sheep that were balled up in the corner.  
Just simply wonderful: again what's with the sheep?  
Of course I was dreaming, so why else would they be here.  
I went to try and at least pet them, but then they scattered away from me. I got a good look at one of the sheep. It seemed to be in tears. The rest of the barn had sections that were filled with hay. It wasn't like Anya's barn back in Moscow with its order and sincerity. It just looked completely empty. Remembering my dreams in the past of dead folk telling me secret encrypted messages, I was getting into the habit of paying a whole lot more attention to my surroundings. And my gut was telling me to start interrogating the sheep. No matter how silly that sounded, it had to be done.  
I approached the sheep very slowly. They decided that I would've been a dangerous threat to them, so they decided to back away slowly as well. That made me nervous.  
"Please don't back away from me," I said in a soft whisper. "I mean you no harm and I do believe I need you guys to help me."  
One of the sheep approached me as I began to pet it. The other, which was a bit smaller than the other one, climbed on my shoulder. I smiled as I picked it up. It didn't weigh as much like I thought, but it was something that caught me as odd. Was I really the only human out here? I knew from my dream experiences, that sure wasn't the case. I got out of the barn and all of a sudden, it became cloudy. The sky was gray and even though it did not smell like it was going to rain, I knew that it wasn't good for sheep. The sheep on the ground started scratching my leg.  
"Is something wrong?" I asked as I place the other sheep down next to me.  
I looked past it and saw a farmhouse about the same size of the barn about a mile from my position. I didn't see it there before, so of course it caught me really off guard. It didn't look threatening or scary, but something as situational as a farmhouse all alone without any roads or vehicles surrounding it was something I didn't take lightly.  
With the sheep following me, I proceeded to do a small jog for the sheep to catch up with me. As I approached the house, I kept thinking of what this very breezy cornfield, the sheep, and a farmhouse had anything to do with the bomb that was currently being removed from my body. Assuming I was alive afterwards, then I would have time to figure this entire thing out. Or else all of the answers would die with me. I slowly gave a small knock on the door and waited. I gave a quick turn to see if there were any other surprises that were waiting for me, but there was only the barn. I peeked through the window to see it covered in darkness. Taking a deep breath, I turned the doorknob.  
There was a click that told me that it wasn't locked. A thought raced through my mind as to whether the place was robbed and whether the robber was still inside, but it quickly disappeared. I stood in the doorway for what seemed like three minutes, until the small sheep tugged at my pants, forcing me to move inside.  
There were stairs that lead to the upper area and the dining room was to my right. The floor was wooded down as it creaked with every step that I took. It was dusty, and so were the pictures that were placed in its hallway. Most of them were pictures of the house, although one of them looked like something really familiar. It was almost near the ceiling so it was really a problem for me to try and reach it. I couldn't boost myself above the sheep in absolute fear of crushing them. So I jumped from the staircase wall and from the total height that I jumped, I smacked it away from the wall where it landed on the kitchen floor with a huge crash. I also fell on the dusty floor and landed straight on my back. The sheep licked my face, probably to congratulate me on getting it down or because they were really worried.  
Such soft, friendly and cuddly animals. I should have them as pets.  
I lifted myself up and noticed a closet door below the staircase. I read about someone getting locked up here when that person was about eleven years old.  
Turns out, he became a national hero all over the world.  
I opened the door, hoping by my luck I find something useful. The light bulb had a string attached to it that I felt right on my nose. I pulled the string to turn it on. There were opened brown boxes all over the small closet all filled with old newspapers. My guess was as good as anyone as to what they were doing there. I checked one of them which dated in nineteen-sixty-nine and it was regarding some sort of Stonewall riot in New York City. Seemed interesting, especially the part where it was a revolutionary turning point for Gays and Lesbians. I kept that info written down in my head as I placed the newspaper back in its appropriate box, shut off the light, and closed the door. The bigger of the two sheep was sniffing at the picture. I really should give them some names, at least so I can tell the difference between them instead of telling them apart by length and height.  
I brushed away the glass with my hand -something that I didn't realize was dangerous- until I saw the picture of what it was. A colored picture of two Japanese girls who were dressed identically and one was giving the other a sunflower. No surprise as to who they were.  
"Dang it," I said to myself softly. "What the heck made you change?"  
From the picture, who I assumed to be Harumi, had a bigger smile than Muchiko when she was receiving the sunflower. That was a long time ago; now that smile was filled with anger and a touch of bullying to go along with it. I folded the picture, placed it inside in my pocket and kept moving.  
I was about to approach the kitchen, when there was a crash of a window upstairs. Both of the sheep started making noise.  
"Guys, guys quiet!" I whispered to them. "It's alright. We'll go slowly."  
My mind was telling me to get out as soon as I could, but my body ignored the warning. Now I know the reason as to why I'm a risk taker sometimes. Of course I went against calling out the person or animal upstairs and very slowly climbed the stairs; the sheep following behind me imitating my slow steps. It was pretty dark upstairs. With no flashlight and nothing in my pocket other than the photograph to provide light, I was literally walking into a pitch black hallway. One of the sheep was clinging to my pants. I would've done that the same thing if I was them.  
I held on to the banister as I climbed up the stairs and into the upper area. Lucky for me, there was a feint of light at the room to my left. I searched around for another light bulb string in the middle of the room. I pulled on something that actually blinded me for a few seconds. Guess I found it. I rubbed my eyes in frustration and looked around at the area. There were four doors, which to me basically spelled a living nightmare. Now I didn't know whether to start off in the far room to the right where I first saw the light stream or to the one in front of me. The sheep were slowly walking in that direction.  
"You two stay here alright? If you see something that isn't me, start...barking," I said.  
I knew they weren't dogs, but still, I didn't know what else to tell them. Thankfully, the sheep obeyed me and stayed put. I nodded to them and went to the room. The door was ajar. I turned the doorknob slowly to first see the TV turned on, but it was only static. Next to it was the window that crashed earlier. I went to turn the TV off and made a complete turnaround as the new room, a bedroom to be exact, was shown to me in a very different light. There were stacks of books, a closet opened to reveal dresses that wouldn't fit me even if I was five years older and three inches taller. The one part of the room that stood out was the wall next to the bed. Written on the wall in big letters was the message:

I WISH MY SISTER WAS DEAD.

I approached it slowly and studied the words carefully. It was brown spray-paint. Two to one shot I knew who wrote this. I was scared that I was literally in Muchiko's past. She never did mention anything about a farmhouse.  
As quick as a mouse, a figure dashed out of the opened closet and bolted out of the door. I barely had a good visual of the suspect; with a dark black shirt the only visual I had.  
"Hey!" I shouted, but like always, they would never listen to me.  
I jumped down from the bed, when I heard one of the sheep scream in terror as another window broke. The bigger of the two stayed behind as I heard a door close and the sheep scratching at it. Traces of blood were found in the small hallway leading to the locked room.  
"Relax girl relax," I said to the sheep.  
I stepped back and kicked the door. Nothing. I really should give running a rest and try to lift some weights.  
There was a wooden table with a vase right behind me. I took the table, with all four of its legs pointing at the door, and charged right at it with all of my strength. The door broke open with its hinges flying into the room. It was a master bedroom: those types of rooms you usually see that make up your parents room. I didn't realize that I was carrying the table until four steps inside of it. The room was completely broken, like it was robbed of its jewels and treasures. If I was the owner of this house, I would be pissed. Broken glass was everywhere, from the mirror, to the window, and everything else in between.  
"Sheepie, where are you?" I called out.  
I stood still and so did the sheep that was with me to see if I could hear at least some sort of sound inside the room. A familiar sound of a beeping watch was heard under the bed, which frightened the sheep. I couldn't see what was under there, but I felt something soft and bloody. Oh crap.  
I pulled out the body of the dead sheep. It was strapped to a bomb which was about to go off in eight seconds.  
Oh crap.  
I tried to go out the door, but it was strangely locked from the outside. Five seconds.  
"Hang on sheep!" I cried out.  
I knelt down so the sheep could hang on to my back. I grabbed the wooden table that I used to break the door and held it in a ready position in front of the window. I had a feeling it was going to be an even scarier ride for the sheep than for me. A second was all it took for the explosion to happen. The table shield worked, but it wasn't going to save me from the very rough fall I was about to have...  
I woke up startled and awake. My eyes felt like it popped out of my socket. I remain calm when I saw Natasha sitting next to me staring at me and was also startled by my appearance as if I have woken up from a month long coma. The area looked as though I was moved into another place, probably better than the room I was in before. If I was moved into an actual hospital, then I was happy enough to be around professionals. If I was in the same military base, then my health is in jeopardy the longer I stay here. It was a white room this time. At least they knew when to change the color from one room to the next so they won't keep the person bored. Still, I couldn't stop breathing heavily, like I just climbed a mountain. I sat up from my bed and stared back at Natasha.  
"So where is it? Or am I poisoned?" I asked.  
Natasha gave a small chuckle. "It's right next to you."  
I turned around and saw that it was on a plate of water. I hoped that is water. I took it by my two hands and examined it. It was black, a red display screen -probably to show the timer- and it was covered in green goo: Muchiko's green dye she made me swallow after the rape. It was a medium-sized version of a proton pack that the Ghostbusters use during their adventures. I stared at it and realized that I had to thank Raven for pulling it out and saving my life. I asked Natasha if she made any mistakes during the procedure.  
"Well, from what Julie told me, she was sweating a lot, with a shaky hand sometimes, but she got the job done. She found it weird that the bomb was really easy to diffuse. It only took five minutes."  
That part surprised me. Was it a joke that Harumi was trying to play on me? Why would something this dangerous be so easy to get rid of? Or was this Raven girl an actual expert? I stood looking at the bomb that now had no purpose to serve. The horror was over. Suddenly, I felt my hands burning as it turned red. The horror was back, full force.  
"Kathy, throw it back!" shouted Natasha.  
I placed it back in the plate of water where it suddenly cooled down back to normal.  
"O.k.," I said staring at it. "That was close."  
We heard footsteps running to our direction.  
"I heard noises. Is everyone alright?" said Julie.  
I pointed at the bomb. "It turned red and it burned me," I said.  
Julie looked at it when I grabbed her collar.  
"Close the door Natty," I said in a whisper. "I don't want Raven to hear this."  
She nodded, got up and closed the door. "So, what's up," said Julie.  
I told them about the dream I had while I was knocked out and told them it had something to do with the rivalry between Muchiko and Harumi. I gave them every detail, even the bloody sheep part under the bed of the master bedroom. When I was finished, Natasha began to cry while Julie became angrier. I continued with the plan that I thought of the second I woke up.  
"O.k. We have to get out now and find Muchiko immediately! She is in huge trouble."  
"Wait, wait, wait a second," said Julie. "I don't think so. You were operated on four hours ago. I don't think you should even move from that bed at all."  
"What happened?"  
"The operation was a success, and she figured out why you've been having stomach pains. The bomb kept increasing in size."  
That explained it in a huge nutshell.  
"Anyway, what you're seeing there is its actual size. Once it was diffused, it shrunk back, making it really easier to remove."  
"That's great, but why does it turn red whenever someone touches it?" I asked.  
"That's what Raven is trying to figure out. They're thinking of freezing it with liquid nitrogen right now."  
Her saying those words made me flinch and think of Muchiko. It was her favorite chemical combination to use. Still, I wasn't going to let that make me lose my focus on the task at hand. "O.k. Forget my condition for right now. Muchiko is feeling far worse," I said. "No matter what Raven says or tries to do with her British charm, we are not staying here. Do you two understand?"  
Natasha gave it some thought. Then she was face to face with me.  
"How about we ask her to join us?"  
"No no, I can't do that. I don't want her to get hurt. I also don't think she would understand the dream I just told you two."  
With help from Julie, I leaped out of bed. Raven was standing in the doorway holding a blue bag. "You're not going to thank me for saving your life?" she asked.  
"Of course I am," I said. "I was about to give you a hug."  
I hugged her as she gave me a kiss on the forehead.  
"You know Katherine," she added. "I literally cried as I was performing the surgery on you. After all the pain, I realized how much you wanted to live. As I patched you up, you just looked so beautiful sleeping that I was wishing that I wouldn't lose you. I'm just so glad you're alive."  
I held back tears as she walked past me and dumped the bag where the bomb was. There was a loud pop like a balloon and steam was coming out of it. That signaled the end of that device. "Get some rest Kathy. I'll take this to be analyzed," she said as she walked away.  
Julie came and put an arm around me.  
"You still going with your plan?" she said in a whisper.  
"Of course I am. I'm sorry I have to do this to hurt her feelings, but we really have to go."  
"Hey wait a second," said Natasha. "You're not going out with a hospital gown are you? It's not hailing anymore, but it does look embarrassing."  
She did have a point, but I didn't care.  
"I'll stick with this, but I would prefer my sneakers. It would be better to walk through the snow with sneakers than sandals right?"  
Natasha nodded.  
I added, "So, how are we going to break out of this military facility?"  
Natasha and I looked at each other, then immediately turned to Julie. If there was anyone that can sneak out of a military base and kill the guards without getting caught, it would be her. "Well, I didn't have any time to scout the place out and if I knew we were trying to break out of this facility before we got here, then I would've have a plan of action. But don't worry, we can still try and get out."  
Julie went out and checked the hallway.  
"All clear," she said. We followed Julie out of the door.  
"This will be an easy escape," said Natasha. "We'll find Muchiko in no time."  
I wished that Natasha wasn't that quick to count her blessings. She was really useful in making me laugh in situations when I needed to. When Julie turned the corner, we were met with five guns all pointed at us, along with Raven who had her hands folded and looked really upset. If only Natasha kept her mouth shut, we wouldn't be in this mess and would've had a clean getaway. Instead, the girl that saved my life was blocking my path.  
"Excuse me Raven, but can we please be on our merry way. We really have to go. Umm, we have a scheduled appointment to get to."  
Raven approached me closely; no signs of the smile that were on her face before. Her face looked a whole lot more like betrayal.  
"Why so soon?" said Raven.  
I completely gave up of hiding this from. The offer had to be made.  
"Would you like to go with us right now?"  
Raven looked perplexed. "At three-thirty in the morning, are you mad? I strongly suggest you three go back to the room. Katherine, you still haven't fully recuperated."  
I felt like I was given a sucker punch that I wasn't quite sure how to recover from. Natasha stepped forward in front of me and took control.  
"O.k. Raven how about this: Would you like to come with us to save a lesbian that is about to get tortured to death by her own sister?"  
Raven stepped back and almost tripped. She knew how severe this situation actually was going to be; me stepping outside and trying to save someone I cared about right after I was operated. That should've gave her at least a clue that we weren't going to take this lying down in bed. Raven turned to Julie.  
"Give me a few minutes to get ready," she said.  
"O.k. Please don't take too long."  
Raven left, which left us in the hallway. We waited for them to be out of earshot when I told Julie, "Now's our chance. Let's get out of here."

Natasha quickly grabbed me before Julie had a chance to speak as we made our way through a couple of doorways, ducking under boxes and proceeded to step outside. As Natasha placed me on the ground, an alarm quickly followed as we ran out of the base. Jeeps and other men started chasing us down.  
"Dang it Katherine, I told you we should've waited," said Julie in anger.  
"I didn't hear you say anything," I responded.  
"Well, I took an opportunity to escape. The more time we stay there, the less time Muchiko has to survive," I said in my defense.  
We were still out in the open, when a helicopter was heard coming from the opposite direction. Its big flashlight was shining right at us. It immediately began to open fire.  
"Out of the way!" yelled Julie.  
Natasha grabbed me, as we rolled into a ditch, while Julie continued forward. The rest of the men were being shot at by the mysterious helicopter who, as it has already proven, wasn't on their side.  
"Natty, who can that be?" I asked, still pinned to the grassy knoll.  
"Hey don't ask me. I'm as confused as you are," she replied.  
The helicopter continued to mow down the opposition. Julie came down to meet us.  
"O.k. What's going on? It's not on their side?" she asked.  
"Doesn't look like it to me," I said.  
Just then, the helicopter fire what looked like a rocket into the base and flew away. We couldn't tell what it hit, but from the huge pitch of the scream that came after, it could probably as well be the one thing I questioned when I entered the facility.  
"I think she's, ummm, pissed off right about now," said Natasha.  
"No more British charm for her," I said.  
We walked back to the base. Somehow, this whole incident was certainly my fault. While it's true that we could've waited for her, we were still in a much needed hurry. I know that she was probably more pissed off at the helicopter than at me, but that would be rather difficult to figure out. After all, running away like this did seem to contribute to her F-16 getting blown up into a million pieces, so regardless of the reason, it was my fault.  
We made it as Raven was trying to get her cleaning crew together to try and hose the jet down. "Hey Raven. We're really sorry to run out on you like that," I said. "And I would like to thank you for saving my life."  
"You ladies all right?" she asked, happy to see us.  
Guess I lost that wager.  
She didn't seem angry at all. Just happy that we, or even more accurate, that I was all right. "We're cool," said Natasha. "See? No bullet holes."  
"Great. So when do we head out with this big rescue mission of yours?"  
"Huh? Are you sure about this?" I asked.  
"We'll get that bastard who blew up my F-15. It was given to me by my girlfriend as a birthday present. I won't see it go down like this."  
"Looks like it already has," said Julie.  
Raven glared at her.  
"Excuse me? It's already over? No no, I can assure you, it will NOT go down like this within this facility. Let me remind you three that you all are in my jurisdiction within this facility. If you disobey me, I can have a swarm of soldiers here within three seconds."  
"So all of a sudden, we're following you now?" said Natasha in absolute protest. I felt the same way, but I would never question a British individual within the confines of their own base, especially if they say that something was going to come happen in three seconds if no improvement was going to be done with what they said. I believe that within my own soul. But, I was about to disregard that notice.  
"Listen Raven, you three are following me understood? You may have all the power within this little so called 'base of operations' here, but I must remind you that we know what Harumi is capable of doing. Your army or whatever you have will be wiped out in a few seconds if you meet her head on."  
"So what does she want? To try and take over my country? Not a bloody chance."  
"No. She's the kind of mad scientist that doesn't want the world. All she wants are the Gays and Lesbians banished."  
"Well how wonderful. We're dealing with another psychotic maniac who wants something as normal as apple pie to be banished in a world of opportunity."  
"Uhhh, yeah that pretty much sums up why we're here," said Natasha.  
Raven looked up at the sky. She motioned me to look with her.  
"You see those stars in the sky?" she asked.  
"Yeah," I answered in a confused manner.  
"Aren't they beautiful?"  
"Of course they are."  
"So why can't Harumi understand that, if the stars are beautiful and are the best thing to view other than car crashes, that she can't see Gay rights as a thing of beauty?"  
"I really don't know. That's what we are going to try and do."  
"We'll take a car down to Big Ben. Julie, help me load some supplies."  
I realized how much bravery Raven had inside her. She was as excited as we were trying to do the impossible. As I saw the two military agents deciding on some weapons to take on our journey, Natasha held on to me.  
"I have a strong feeling that in this so-called 'role playing game' of yours, we have to try and protect her with our life."  
"I'm sure she can handle herself."  
"How about her handling Harumi?  
"That's what makes me nervous."  
"One last thing: you think Muchiko is still alive?"  
"I'm positive. She's holding her there as bait for us."  
"You know this could be a trap right?"  
"Yup."  
"And we're falling right into it?"  
"Nope. Harumi knows nothing about Raven coming with us."  
"O.k. We're ready to go," said Julie.  
Raven gave me her patented smile. "Let's send this Gerrie back to Hell!"  
"I don't think she's German," I said.  
"Oh sorry. The Second World War has been stuck in my head for some time. Damn movie night."  
I gave myself a face palm and shook my head. This was going to be a very interesting raid. I just hope Raven is a whole lot more focused than what she was originally leading us to believe. This was literally considered to be a suicide mission. But for the British, these were the kind of people who go with the quote: "Desperate times meant desperate measures" to heart. And things have never been more desperate.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

The streets of London were quite interesting, to say the least. Watching all of those James Bond movies in my life -as usual, thanks to Jessie- has made me at least somewhat prepared for the city streets. With all of the hail involved throughout the streets, it made commuting at five in the morning all that challenging. What made all of this confusing, as Raven was behind the wheel with Julie in the passenger seat while Natasha and I were in the back, was of course the obvious confusion: the steering wheel was on the right side of the car while we were driving on the left side of the road. I couldn't help but shout to Raven that we were going the wrong way, but I held it back. I might as well enjoy the confusion while it lasted. My mind began to wander a bit elsewhere. I really wasn't sure what Harumi wanted to exactly do with Big Ben. Using a famous building with a diabolical scheme in play shook me up inside. It was a scary thought. Natasha leaned into the front of the car.  
"So what did you girls bring to the festivities?" Julie turned around.  
"Just the usual assortment of guns and a grenade launcher."  
"Sounds fun."  
Raven stopped at a red light.  
"We'll be staying at a rented apartment. Just promise me that you won't cause a ruckus inside. I really don't want to get into any trouble," she said, in a way that was meant for all of us.  
Of course, Julie and I looked at Natasha. She looked at us really guiltily.  
"Hey don't look at me," she said. "I haven't done anything wrong; not yet anyway."  
I gave a small smile as the lights turned green and we drove off into a high rise building outside London. Big Ben could be seen about three miles away. It wasn't like the Sears Tower back home, but it was such an awesome sight of beauty. There were cars that looked like they were electrical powered on the road and everyone had a smile when they saw us. Natasha and I looked at each other, unsure of how to respond to this friendly gesture. We simple came with a solution: just waved back. There might a time where we might have to thank these people for saving our lives sooner rather than later.  
We entered the apartment and went into the third floor of the building. I've seen and lived through too many apartments over this adventure that I placed myself behind Natasha for protection among anything that could come our way.  
"Damn, I forgot to set the alarm of my car," said Raven, panic stricken. "Can you please wait here for me?"  
"Of course. I promise you that we won't harass the neighbors," I answered with a grin.  
She went downstairs while Julie turned to us with a worried look. Her face was merely shown with what looked like a stream of a mixture of sadness of anger and a hint of cinnamon.  
"She can't die. She's not supposed to die," she said, very frantically.  
I turned to Natasha. She was looking at something in particular about Julie. I eyed Julie's frantic expression and looked up and down at her.  
"What? Do I have something on my face? A pimple perhaps? Maybe a bug?"  
We ran right at Julie and tackled her to the ground. It took her by surprise. She didn't put up a fight at us or didn't scream, thank goodness, but she was very defensive as to the object in her shoulder that she was trying to hide.  
"What is this tattoo about?" I said. "Tell us right now: does this have anything to do with Harumi?"  
Julie stopped struggling. Raven climbed up the stairs.  
"If you guys wanna 'get busy' with each other, you can use my bedroom, not the hallway where all of my neighbors will be able to see."  
She shook her head and opened the door. I helped Julie up, and with a little whisper of "I'm sorry" went inside.  
Out of all of the places I visited, this happened to be the most cleanest and well taken care of. There were stools in the kitchen, the floor was really clean, the TV was a big screen and her bedroom was walking distance from the bathroom. Now that is what you call luxury. Natasha went straight for the bathroom while Julie sat down in one of the stools.  
"You sure no one's gonna try and take your ride from wherever you placed it?" asked Julie.  
"No trust me, it's safe," Raven responded. "You girls want anything? I haven't slept in hours, so I may entrust you to take care of this place if I take a nap."  
"No sleep alright?" I said.  
I waited for a few more seconds until Natasha came out of the bathroom. Then me and her circled around Julie while Raven looked as though she was pouring herself some wine.  
"Does that keep you awake?" I asked.  
"Yes it does quite actually."  
"And how old are you?"  
"Twenty four."  
"How cute."  
I turned right to Julie. I was hoping I wouldn't have to start questioning her; I was costly afraid of how Julie would react to my arrangement of words. She gave a sigh while Raven looked at her, expression very happily as though she was a little kid looking at a new lion in the zoo. Julie took a deep breath and began.  
"Well firstly, it is true that I am part of my own formed Flower military. Melissa was the first person I joined up with to make the group. B.B and Getty followed suit afterwards. The funny thing is we all had the same tattoo in the same area. I thought it was merely a joke. Once we went to church together, what the priest said to us wasn't a joke."  
"So, were they tattoos or something sacred?" asked Raven.  
Julie rolled up her sleeve to show her shoulder. There were black markings stretched out in two directions, with a big red dot at the end of both of their directions, liked curved parallel lines. There goes one of the proofs that math can be useful in the real world. It just so happens to be placed as a symbol of some sort in my friend's shoulder. In both the top and bottom areas of the path, there were two scythes in the form of a cross. That alone was enough to frighten me. There was a small word in Italian engraved in the middle.  
"What does that mean?" I said.  
We all looked at Julie's face. She looked at all of our faces and said, "It says _decesso. _Italian for 'Death.'"  
Natasha screamed out. "Death!"  
Raven gave a small laugh. I had an odd feeling she knew what Natasha meant. Julie completely shrugged it off.  
"Can I continue?" she asked politely.  
"I don't think you have to," said Raven, recovering from her laughter. "From what you just told us and from you're tattoo, you just told us everything."  
"But I haven't finished my story."  
"So you and your military friends are members of your very own 'four horsemen'?" I said.  
"That pretty much sums it up right there."  
We had something Harumi didn't have. We had the final member of a female version of the four horsemen; four symbols of what made the Book of Revelation very scary. According to Julie, Getty was pestilence, B.B was famine, and Melissa was war. This could prove to be a tactical advantage for us. But there was something I had to ask Julie; a question which had a scary answer. Raven read my mind and asked it for me.  
"Julie, if your friends are dead and you're the only one left, what happens? Does anything change in the world?"  
Julie gave it some thought as she began to pace around the living room. No one said anything or made a sound that could've interrupted her. Only the morning traffic outside was making its presence felt. Finally Julie turned around and looked at us.  
"We were all in the seventh grade when the priest told us what would happen if we were all dead. All he to us was: 'be careful of the dragon'. Just by saying those words, it really freaked me out."  
Guess that answered Raven's question.  
"If anything should happen to you, where would this dragon reside?" said Natasha.  
"I really don't know. I've been trying to avoid all of these problems all my life. We made a pact to look out for each other. Now that all of this is happening, it seems as though Harumi knows about my secret. I don't know how she knows about it; she probably made one of my friends suffer enough to drag it out of them. My guess is that she's trying to wake the dragon to get rid of every single rainbow flag out there."  
She ended with a sigh as she sat back on the stool. Natasha put her arm around her.  
"Hey remember, we got you're back in this alright?" she said, in a drunken acting state.  
Julie made a small smile, when Raven gave her some of the wine. I hugged her legs.  
"Don't worry. We don't mind doing double duty. We'll rescue Muchiko and protect you as well." "Thank you very much," said Julie.  
"There are times where I can handle things on my own, but I really do not mind having some well preserved backup with me."  
I felt really relieved. As long as Julie was alive, then Harumi didn't have the last piece of the puzzle that she needed. With Julie's secret out in the open within us, this made things all the more complicated. I wondered which one of Julie's friends actually let Harumi know about all of this. It wasn't a coincidence that her three friends were brutally murdered out of fun. I was scared that Anastasia was also involved in this somehow, but I got that thought out of my head before I placed it in my "list of possibilities." Raven went to her fridge.  
"You girls want a snack or something before we head out?"  
"Sure thing," said Natasha.  
"I'll go freshen up in the bathroom," I said as I stepped out of the living room.  
I was about to open the door, when Raven's room was shown right in front of me. As soon as I stepped one foot inside, I let out an ear splitting scream. I felt someone tackle me from behind and a sound of a gun drawn was heard.  
"What happened? Is there a robber?" said Julie, suddenly out of breath.  
I heard other footsteps behind me.  
"You all right?" said Raven.  
Julie got herself off of me as I stepped inside of the room, very transfixed. My eyes only stared at the surroundings of the room. It was familiar and very uncomfortable. It smelled like roses, but that wasn't the point. I stepped in and turned around to the three of my friends who were in utter confusion staring right back at me. Julie put her gun right back in her pocket. Once it was out of my sight,  
I said to all of them: "This is the room that was in my dream. Everything here, all in their exact positions, just like in my dream."  
This was really starting to freak me out. I knelt down and began to cry. I now took all the dreams in my head and finally came to an unforgiving conclusion: I can dream about the future. Natasha knelt down beside me, was really upset.  
"Kathy, are you serious? Are you serious about all of this?" she asked. I nodded in agreement.  
Raven looked around the room. "What dream? My room isn't dangerous."  
"It's not that it isn't dangerous," I said. "This room...all of this...was Harumi's room in a farmhouse."  
Julie was still a bit paranoid and began to check the closets. There was nothing. I sat in the bed as the sun shined right in my face. Natasha grabbed my head and began examining it.  
"What are you doing?" I asked.  
"I'm planning a way to dissect your brain so I can have some of this power you possess of dreaming about the future."  
I pushed her out of the way in a joking manner as I started to wander around her room, looking at every detail of the room while thinking of how this would've happened. I never had this sort of phenomenon happen to me before. Most of my dreams would involve ice cream, running, Rebecca, and chemistry. Nowhere in my past that I remembered a dream that actually came real. Either figuratively or physically. I didn't have a headache and I know that I sleep alright, even in the strangest of bedrooms. It couldn't have been the surgery, and I know there haven't been times where I severely injured my head. So what could it be?  
Raven went near me and started sniffing at my hair. "What kind of shampoo did you put on? It smells nice."  
"Well, it isn't necessarily shampoo. It was this thing that-"  
I paused mid-sentence. I finally figured it out.  
Damn you Muchiko.  
That random oily substance she placed in my hair that would've allowed me to, as she claimed, helped me study.  
Real sneaky.  
Natasha grinned. "You know we could make money off this 'power' of yours."  
"We are not going to use this for personal gain," said Julie. "Besides, this could prove to be an advantage for us in the long run."  
"Wait a minute Julie," said Raven. "Katherine, what was this dream about?"  
I stuttered for a second before telling her the dream in a shorter version.  
"I was in a farm. I saw two sheep. I came into this room. Someone who I couldn't see broke out of that same exact closet. One of the sheep was brutally slaughtered under this bed. And the room blew up as me and the other sheep jumped out of the window that was previously broken before when I first stepped inside this room."  
Natasha checked the window while Julie looked under the bed. Nothing on either side. So much for that section of the dream coming true. What a relief.  
Raven looked inside the closet before turning to me and asking me, "Do you know what the sheep represent?"  
"I have a strange feeling I do," I replied, my tone of voice was in total fear. "One of my friends might die at the hands of Harumi."  
Julie and Natasha looked at each other. For at least ten percent of the European tour, both of them have been by my side. Now one of them may be a new target during our assault on Big Ben later.  
"Oh c'mon now," said Raven, in an attempt to make everyone feel better. "I'm not saying that Katherine is lying. Sure, only some of the parts of her dream turned out to be true, but I really don't believe in psychics. Unless they win the lottery."  
"Hey, I don't believe in them either. My sister Jessie says they're a waste of money and time. I remember her quote: 'why let someone run your life for you when you know what you want to do twenty years from now. I would really like to burn all of those places down. They take up too much space.' So this isn't any type of psychic reading of some sort. I really think this is something Muchiko planted on me."  
Natasha flinched when she heard Muchiko's name.  
"Planted what?" she asked. "A bug?"  
She was close on that response.  
They all sat on the bed as I told them about the time I visited her lab to help study for the exam I had. I mentioned the part where Rebecca and I found Chris crucified in his own ceiling. As I finished it, Raven was crying.  
"I don't know about you all, but I'm heading out to Big Ben right now and throwing her off. Hopefully this menace can end right then and there."  
"It won't be easy," suggested Natasha. "She has a whole bunch of followers. And since she's getting away with all of this, it seems like, according to Muchiko, someone else is in on this whole ordeal. I'm saying this because the police don't even have the guts to stop her; they're bribed to look the other way."  
"I say we hit her hard and hit her where it hurts!" shouted Julie.  
I gave a small smile in her direction. Ever since the end of my surgery, I have been feeling a whole lot better. There wasn't any pain or anything of that sort around me. As I turned to get up, there was a crash from the window as a rock was thrown, hitting Raven in the leg. Julie ran to look out the window, but couldn't see anyone, only a small crowd of spectators.  
"How the heck does she know we're here?" said Natasha.  
Raven limped a bit towards me and noticed that her right leg was bleeding. "S'okay. I can still drive. No need to worry," she said.  
"I'll get some ice," said Natasha as she ran out of the room.  
Julie ran out of the door, shouting back "I'll check on the car."  
This left me alone with Raven for a while.  
"What can I do to help?" I asked.  
"How about telling me why this Harumi character knows we are here."  
"Huh? Wait a minute; I'm not a double agent."  
"Yeah yeah sure."  
"I'm positive. I don't know where this accusation is coming from. I stick with my friends and that is that alright?"  
Natasha came back with a bag of ice and gave it to Raven.  
"Hey Natty. Raven said that I literally sent Harumi over here to throw that rock in the window," I said. "Basically, she's saying that there's a tracking device on me and that's how they're following us."  
Natasha took one look at me and rubbed my hair.  
"I have an odd feeling that futuristic dreams aren't the only thing that the oily substance provides."  
This explained absolutely everything. All those traps and run-ins with Harumi and her cohorts throughout our tour; they found us really easily. I was starting to become really scared of actually stepping out of the house at all. This now begged the question: why was this placed in my hair at the start? If I did find Muchiko and if she was still alive, then we were going to have a really harsh exchange of words.  
Julie came back as Natasha started whispering something to her ear. Raven cut the bag in half, placed it on her bruised leg, used a shirt to tie it up and rolled down her pants. All three of them surrounded me. I would rather be face to face with Harumi right now than these three angry ladies.  
"Please don't hurt me. I swear either Muchiko or myself did not have any of this planned. It was only made for me to study. I really didn't know that it would lead to a freaking chase all over a continent. I just wanted to pass a chemistry exam. All she said was that, 'it will make your thoughts stronger'."  
Raven gave me a hug so I won't feel left out.  
"I believe you. And I do believe that it was a mistake on her part. No worries."  
"A mistake? No worries?" Natasha interjected. "Raven, we forgot to mention that both Muchiko and Harumi are EXTREME experts in science. Once she placed the oil on Kathy's hair, she knew what she was doing. I'm sorry to say that, but it wasn't her mistake. She knew in a very funny way that this whole thing was going to happen."  
I sat up, and analyzed Natasha's thoughts. Tracking everything all the way back from when she and I met up to this current location. It was a bit difficult to see where and when it happened. I looked at the floor and it hit me. Actually, Julie hit me in the head.  
"What was that all about?" I said, feeling my head.  
"Oh I'm sorry. I thought you fell asleep," she replied. "It looked as though you were dozing off for a second there."  
"Raven, I would have to agree with you on this one," I said. "She placed the oil on me before we went to see Harumi for my cosplay outfit. The last thing that we saw from Harumi was a computer with a list of names on the screen. She tried to capture Natasha for some interrogation about her friend Anya, but instead killed my friend Rebecca. Muchiko probably knew something like this was coming, but she probably didn't know it would lead to a chase all over Europe."  
Raven nodded. Julie was already out of the door and was heard sobbing near a wall. Natasha's eyes were like fire. She was standing in place and staring into the window. A very insane position if you asked me.  
"Are you crazy Natasha? Get away from the window!" shouted Raven. "You're going to get killed. Just shake it off alright, and I'm sure you'll get your hands on her. Just calm down alright?" Natasha screamed and ran out of the house.  
Just my luck. She needed to be contained.  
I grabbed Julie from the wall as the three of us went outside. Natasha broke the window of the car and was about to start the engine.  
"Grab her Raven! She knows how to hotwire any car!" I screamed out.  
Raven was about to open the door, but Natasha sped off.  
"I sure hope she doesn't get lost," said Julie.  
That was the last thing on my mind. Probably upset when I mentioned the crucifixion part. That could get anyone over the edge. Raven hailed down a taxi.  
"Big Ben and step on it!" she shouted, scaring the driver.  
She sat in the front with the driver, while Julie and I were in the back. I shook my head.  
"I really don't understand what's wrong with this girl. Seems like anything could get her ticked off."  
"Probably was tired of waiting and waiting and waiting so she said to herself: 'oh screw everyone' and went along in her merry way."  
"Well I don't know about that. But I just hope that she doesn't cause any trouble."  
We arrived in front of the huge clock in about five minutes. Raven promised the driver, who was male, that she was going to offer him a "sneak peek" of a couple of things if he went there in a speed very illegal in the streets of Britain. Once we stopped, he was about to grope her, when Julie pointed her gun between his legs. I threw her out as soon as she was about to pull the trigger. Raven paid him and the driver sped off, with a very interesting to tell. Julie hid the gun perfectly in her pocket. We was about to enter, when there was an explosion on the top floor.  
"So very impatient," said found her car, unlocked the trunk of the car and gave me a small Uzi machine gun. She on the other hand, took out a shotgun.  
"Are you sure this is all safe?" I asked in a very stupid manner.  
Raven was silent and nodded to Julie. "Raven says yes and that we're going to rescue your friends."  
I completely agreed. Julie snuck in some grenades in her pocket and we were ready. My eyes were completely focused. It was the first time I held a weapon of this caliber. I was completely ready and nothing could ruin it.  
"Alright girls. Let's clear her out!" I shouted.  
The people who saw us coming through scattered out of our way. We knew we had to hurry; if the cops showed up, it would be a very compelling story to tell them about keeping weapons in a very public area. With all of the danger that was going on in the world, and all of the commotion that Harumi caused throughout this tour, we would be the first ones that the police would interrogate.  
"Remember," said Julie. "We get in, do what we have to do, and get out. No snacks or pictures of the gorgeous view, understand?"  
As much as I wanted to steal a camera from some tourist and take pictures of the view, Julie was right. There was no time to goof around and cause a scene. Obviously enough, with our entrance and Raven punching a security guard, there was already a scene being shown to all of the onlookers. Some of them ran away. Other just stood by looking at us like we were a weird commodity circus of ingrates. Julie began to just point her gun at them and ordered them to leave.  
Raven told us to take the elevator, but I was going to ahead and stop by the top floor. If Natasha was involved in that explosion, I wanted to make sure she was alive so I can at least smack her upside her head for leaving us behind.  
"I don't think that's wise Katherine," said Raven.  
Of course she was the one who knew a lot about the building's interior secrets than any of us. I, however, was in no mood to socialize with her.  
"I'm taking the stairs. I don't care how guarded it will be, alright? I'm sure you ladies can handle yourselves rather nicely together."  
Before Raven could answer, I was gone.  
The stairs are never my best asset when dealing with problematic crazy followers of a cause that I find is really rather stupid. It was not like running a track. More air was released on my lungs with every step I took. It was a killer on my legs as well, but I pulled through, thought of the stairs in school and took shorter breaths. It was a complicated maneuver and it worked. I guess going through the school stairs every day really paid off. It was painful, but it paid off.

As I got up past the second floor, I felt the gun actually pinching my leg, reminding myself that I had a tool in my pocket in case I needed to defend myself. I never had the strength to actually pull the trigger on someone; heck I never even held a firearm. But there are people here that were trying to kill me. Still, even with this big of a crisis going on, I wouldn't have pulled the trigger. My body wasn't coming to full terms with my mind because as I reached the top floor, after wave of wave of panicked people trying to knock me down the stairs and a couple of guys convincing me to head back down the steps -both were really cute with their brown eyes-, I looked down the stairs and took one last look at my sanity. It was literally pleading with me to not do this, to not shoot a disfigured soul. Well I'm sorry sanity, what has to be done has to be done. There was absolutely no turning back.  
I placed my ear on the doorway expecting to hear at least some sort of noise of either celebration or of gunfire. Nothing. I took out my gun and opened the door. The breeze of the outside cooled off my sweaty forehead. It was just a matter of time before I was met with gunfire. Shots rang through the top floor of the engine room where the explosion took place. I hurried back behind the door and closed it. The door was sturdy enough to repel the gunfire, which was a really good thing for the sake of my health. I took my gun at the ready, opened the door and began firing. Well firstly, the main importance of firing your weapon is to make sure you know what it is that you're shooting at. I didn't abide by that rule in the most indescribable way. Gears and planks were the closest thing that I began to hit. It just goes to show you that not everything you see on TV can be easily accomplished in real life.  
A really good example is Jessie -I miss my sister so much- and skateboarding. She made a bet of five hundred dollars -with her friends- that she could skateboard just like them by simply watching the X-games on TV. When she first told me this wager, I just couldn't stop laughing. I told her that the only way to learn to skateboard is if either watching a "how to" instructional show or to actually live through the experience. She stared at me like I didn't know what I was saying and was only speaking in tongue. Jessie slowly nodded in agreement and stepped out of the living room, only to continue watching it in our parents' room. So the big day began. Rebecca and I snuck by the park to watch her in action. How did she do you ask? Let's just say she came back with bruised knees, a bruised chin, and if I did my math correctly with three friends, she was fifteen hundred dollars poorer. My dad never forgave her for that one.  
The shooting subsided for a while, and then stopped. It was my cue to finally open the door. I opened it to see a girl with a gun in her hand approaching the door. I held the gun steady as I fired. She didn't have a chance to fire back as she slumped to the walkway. I stared crouched down at the unconscious body, hoping that she would get up. It was at least four shots in the chest. That didn't get my hopes up at all.  
I approached the body and looked around, hoping that it wasn't a trap. I grabbed her and at least tried my best to interrogate her. The door opened behind me, but I didn't turn around. One of the dumbest risks I have ever taken and surprisingly, it didn't wind up costing me. The voice was someone I knew, but was someone that decided that this would be a really wonderful time to smart mouth me.  
"What's she going to tell you: that she's dead?" said Julie.  
"Well she could still be alive and could actually tell me where Muchiko is."  
She shook her head. Raven was right behind her.  
"Can we just keep moving please? My foot is starting to fall asleep by just standing here so long."  
We left the body there, and let Raven lead the way. Our lovable tour guide was more careful than we were in following the guidelines of "not touching anything that would deem to be broken and not useful to Big Ben." I wanted to at least touch something that was deemed historically awesome in my book. Still, we had something to do and very less time to do it in We found a walkway that connected to the outside of the very tall building. I wouldn't have minded this kind of tour at all if I was with an actual tour guide. Instead, it was turning out to be a routine rescue mission, and just my luck that I managed to not bring a camera at all.  
The walkway lead to an area across from the big clock where we saw a little girl tied up and was all alone. Julie scanned the area first, then ran towards her to set her free.  
"Oh crap," said Julie. "Why an eight year old girl?"  
"I've seen her before," said Raven. "What has she done to deserve this? She's only a girl scout."  
I heard loud music from below. I didn't have binoculars, but the yellow hat and red hair below told me that we fell into a trap.  
"Hey, Harumi escaped. She's down below and it looks like they are circling the tower with...music?"  
I said remotely confused. Raven grabbed the girl and slung her on her back like a book bag.  
"I got Rachel. Let's go," she said.  
Julie kept looking at the ground. "Yeah, we really have to go, like right now. I'm getting nervous as to what Harumi is planning right now. It's getting me scared."  
We were heading back to the engine room when Julie snapped her fingers and blurted out, "Of course. It's the crumbling of the Walls of Jericho."  
I didn't know that story, but the building began to shake. That's never good.  
"Time to go," said Raven.  
We ran through the stairs. The building began to topple a bit. The stairs were starting to become really unsafe. I rather risk the elevator ride. Raven was the one on the lead when she paused. "Hang on to something, she muttered out of her breath."We're going to have a swim."  
I held onto Julie first, then to a pole. It felt like a very dangerous roller coaster ride. Sure the screams can be fun when you're in something that you can somewhat control, but inside a toppling building where gravity has no rules for idiots, those screams can be awfully fatal. To add insult to injury, Raven shouted out that we were going to land straight onto the Thames River.  
Wonderful. Time to head back into the water.  
The fall took three seconds. I hit the ceiling hard, but didn't break anything. Julie almost looked like she twisted her ankle. Raven was the healthiest out of the three of us. She hung on to the top of a staircase and planted her feet onto the railing. That was smart. The water came crashing through the window.  
"Do all of you know how to swim?" said Raven.  
"Well duh," said Julie.  
"I know I can," I said. "What about the girl you're with?"  
Raven turned around and tried to wake her up.  
"Hey hurry up there Ray, I don't want to turn up fish food," said Julie.  
Raven pounded her chest and felt her heart. Nothing. Her eyes were closed a minute later with Raven suddenly in tears.  
"But how? I heard her breathing when we rescued her," said Julie.  
Raven was still in tears as the water was sneaking up behind me.  
"We must go," I said as I offered my hand to help her up.  
Raven wiped her tears and took my hand.  
"Thank you Katherine for being so nice to me."  
The three of us held our breaths together and swam through one of the windows. We got out into the blue sky and swam into dry land. Raven shooed away medical help for the three of us, found her car among all of that madness and drove off. I lied on the backseat wet as a dog. Harumi was long gone, and now Natasha has joined the captured. She could've been anywhere. Raven tried to cheer us up but her tone was still ringing with anger.  
"We'll find her. I'm sure of it."  
"How are we going to find her? She could be anywhere in this big city of yours," I said.  
"Hey, can we go back to your place and at least dry ourselves up?" said Julie. "I really don't want to catch a cold."  
"No problem. That's where I was planning anyway."  
Her voice was directed at me this time.  
"Julie pointed out very randomly of course, that this Harumi fellow steals ideas from the bible right?"  
"Yeah, so what does that have to do with where she is?"  
Raven's phone started to ring. Julie answered it and placed it on Raven's ear. Well, she wasn't the one with the phone, so I guessed that wasn't illegal. The conversation lasted seconds and then told Julie to hang-up the phone.  
"So what's up?" I said.  
"A weapon has been stolen. It was last reported heading south near 'suicide cliffs'. Just our luck for surveillance right?"  
"How was it stolen?"  
"The helicopter that ambushed us earlier came back again as soon as we left. My men had no chance."  
"What does it do?"  
"I'll explain it when we get inside Katherine. Everything will be explained. Mark my words she will pay dearly for killing the little Girl Scout."  
Raven was even more pissed than me and Julie combined. I was only thinking of getting myself dried off. I wasn't focused on the real issue now. Harumi had a weapon that would kill off all Gays and Lesbians all over Europe, Muchiko was doomed, Natasha was next on the chopping block thanks to her stupidity, and now Julie was probably the most wanted woman on Harumi's hit list. I couldn't forget our British lesbian guide. We'll get dried up, think of a plan, and storm "suicide cliff" without a moment's notice. This madness had to end. And it will end.  
After I eat of course.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty-One

"Can this go any faster? I don't like hanging out in your living room with nothing but a bra and panties on. I'm glad you got a heater on in here, but c'mon now," said Julie.  
"Relax Julie. My dryer always misbehaves this way," replied Raven. "But be patient. I timed it out from when we got out of the river to when we made it here. She pretty much has a six minute lead on us."  
"Wow, that's wonderful." It was the second time we were in Raven's living room. For some odd reason, it felt very different than before.  
Mostly because I was wearing less clothes than before.  
I didn't mind wearing some of Raven's clothes, but she said that we looked a whole lot cute in our own clothes and that they were too special to her. I understood all of that, but all she had to say was that she didn't want us wearing any of her clothes because she wanted to see how we looked in our bra and panties. I was glad she lived in the fourth floor; less of a chance we were seen by any perverts through the windows. Given that thought, I slowly stepped away from the window.  
Raven wasn't staring at us like I thought she would be. Rather, she was drawing something in a big piece of paper. Instead of her military gear, she had on a green plain shirt and rainbow pants. If that wasn't a target, I really didn't know what it was. Julie sat on top of the dryer, while I approached Raven. At least her butt was getting all toasty and warm there. If she got burned, that wouldn't surprise me at all.  
"Excuse me Raven, what are you drawing?" I asked nicely, hoping not to interrupt her or to cause her any trouble.  
It didn't seem like she was done, but it sure looked like a nice map.  
"Oh sorry, didn't see you there. This is the place that is unfortunately nicknamed 'suicide cliffs'. It's near my base of operations."  
"Surely I can guess as to why they are called by that horrible nickname."  
"Right. They don't realize that things can be resolved by talking, or at least like our situation, make a group of friends to combat the problem head on."  
"I totally agree with you. Friends together can go through anything."  
Julie got down from her cozy spot and went to join us on the living room table. No matter what, along with the heater and the dryer, I wouldn't have gotten off that spot for anything. Even for ice cream.  
"Hey Raven. You mentioned before that you have some of your girlfriends stuff in your apartment. May I ask: where is she? We could use all the help we can get."  
Raven let out a sad sigh as she dropped her pen on the table.  
"I am most grateful for your concern. I have called up my best man in hopes that he will go with us. I explained to one of them earlier about our situation. He thought it was a joke. I told him that I was bloody serious. So he won't show up, but instead will send a sniper here."  
"Which is why we should get dressed soon," said Julie. "I really don't want some guy staring at my boobs and making jokes about it."  
Raven chuckled a bit under her breath. I never thought Julie would be the type of girl who would be worried about her looks. I stared at her and saw only her beauty.  
"You're really pretty Julie," I said. "You, in a way, remind me of Jessie. In looks of course. So there's nothing to be ashamed of. I'm sure there will be someone out there just for you and who would like you for you."  
Julie gave a small smile in my direction. That was the confidence that I needed to see from her. No sadness or worrying all about her body. Julie shrugged it off, and tapped Raven on her shoulder.  
"You still didn't answer my other question."  
"I know," said Raven.  
She buried her hands with her face. With that attitude, the answer she was prepared to give us wasn't going to be pretty.  
"Two years ago, Rachel, that was her name, told her parents about her sexual orientation. They threatened to kill her, until she moved in here with me. I was fine with it, and she was an excellent roommate. Her parents found out what happened and demanded her to be brought home. I her not to get home, but she said it was alright. I woke up the next day to find her gone. I called her house to see if she was o.k. They were in tears and told me that she drove her car right over the cliff and committed suicide. She didn't tell me anything about this at all. Ever since then, I was always afraid of even stepping foot on that cliff. I really don't want to see what she saw as she was going overboard."  
I gave her a well thoughtful hug. Raven didn't even say or mention who she would blame for that incident. She didn't care. Her face told us that she has indeed moved on. Now that Harumi was welcomed into her life in the most abrupt way possible, Raven didn't want history to repeat itself. She knew the things that she was capable of doing, and Raven wasn't going to be a victim of her foolishness.  
"Can I be excused to go into my room please?" she asked.  
"Oh, of course," I said, as Julie released me from grabbing on to her pants.  
She turned to us saying, "The clothes will be done within five minutes."  
The door was closed with a huge bang.  
"Think she's upset with the telling of her story?" I asked Julie.  
She went to the fridge, grabbed a beer can and started to drink out of it from a straw she found from the top of the fridge.  
"Listen, I can honestly feel what she's going through."  
"I don't think you can."  
"And what, you could?"  
"I have been in this journey a lot longer than you, remember?"  
"Well yeah, that's sort of true I guess. But I've seen worse in my years here with my Flower army."  
"I can imagine."  
I looked at the picture and saw a doodle of a machine placed on top of the cliffs that she drew earlier. I didn't see it there before, but by the positioning of the machine, Raven might be correct. "Julie, come here a minute," I said.  
She leaped towards me and held on to my boobs for absolute protection. She might as well be jealous, but I'm not the one who gets worried about simple sizes.  
"What is it? Is it that alien object that she drew there?"  
"Yeah. It's something really worth its weight in gold for Raven. For Harumi however, it is something way worse."  
Julie punched the table in anger. Raven's door to her room swung open and there was also a knock on the door. Julie reached for her pistol on the table.  
"Julie, stand down," said Raven. "It's probably my sniper."  
The dryer stopped as well. Julie and I rushed to get out clothes out of the dryer and ran to Raven's room to get dressed before she opened the door. Julie quickly closed the door, but before she got changed, she checked the closet and the window.  
Probably still paranoid.  
"Remember Julie? They all left,"  
"I know, but you don't know if they left a murderer here just in case we were to come back. Thanks to your hair gel, Raven's address is compromised."  
"Look Julie," I said as I was putting on my Levi jeans. "I really think you're over reacting. We need to focus here. And please stop worrying about your boobs for once? You look fine alright?" Julie looked down at the floor very shamefully. I didn't want her to feel that way at all. "Don't feel so bad Julie. I'm sure Raven's sniper will look rather awesome."  
Julie smiled. "Thanks Katherine. I'm just trying to look for the perfect guy now that my friends are gone."  
She put her shirt over her head and started opening the cabinets. Even if I was loyal to a military organization, I wouldn't start looking for something to steal.  
"Hey, what are you doing? You're not supposed to be stealing things," I protested.  
"Relax. I'm just looking for some perfume. Who knows if this cutie would fall head over heels the moment he sees me."  
"It's funny how Natasha would've said those exact same words in this very same situation."  
With a deep breath, fully dressed and no perfume, Julie opened the door. Raven was talking with a pink haired someone; who had their back to us, very seriously. There was a sniper rifle next to Raven.  
"What kind of gun do you suppose that is?" I asked.  
Julie looked at it for a good placed three seconds before she responded to me.  
"It looks like a PSG1. Those things are loud."  
The pink something turned around. It was a shy girl, about fourteen years of age and with the same type of glasses that Raven had on. Julie looked a little disappointed. Thankfully, she wasn't wearing any perfume to try and impress her or else the situation would've been really weird; if it was o.k. for her however, then clearly it wasn't my business. I extended my hand first.  
"Hello. My name is Katherine. I really have to apologize for coming out of the room and not meeting you before. I'm not really rude when it comes to guests with as much heart as you."  
Of course I wasn't going to miss that opportunity to be nice with someone who had knowledge of killing me two hundred yards away. Her hair was shiny, like it was bathed in shiny turtle wax. She wore a tattered up military shirt identical to Julie's, but looked a lot more like the Union Jack: Britain's main flag. Her pants however, weren't camouflage at all. That would've been a really cool combination.  
"Hello there Katherine," she said as she took my hand. "I'm Rose. Raven told me all about how this is a bigger global problem than we have hoped. I'm glad to be helping out anyway I can." Julie eyed her rifle that was leaning on the table where the drawing was. She picked it up, examined it, and shook her head.  
"Rose, correct?" she asked.  
"Yes, and you must be Julie: our other military analyst."  
"O.k., I know this is your rifle, but I don't think this would be really adequate for our rescue mission."  
"Well why not?"  
Her accent was much stronger than Raven's. Probably was from another area a few miles away from London.  
"It's too loud."  
Rose laughed. Apparently, something about how either Julie spoke or how Julie phrased the statement was funny. I didn't know what the punch line was, neither did Raven. It sounded sane to me. Rose didn't think so.  
"What's so funny?" demanded Julie.  
"Well firstly," said Rose. "I never heard of a sniper rifle becoming loud as you say it does. I'm pretty positive that my rifle does not make noise. I have tested it myself through many years of training."  
Julie frowned. Her being wrong took a huge hit to her system.  
Raven shook her head. "Julie, do me a favor and try not to correct my people in their knowledge of weaponry."  
"Oh she's not upset of that part," I chided with a huge grin. Julie was waving her hands in protest, but I wasn't willing to pass up the opportunity to embarrass her. Hopefully she won't get back at me later on for this. "She's upset because she was hoping that your sniper, Rose, was a cute charming guy for her to try and flirt with. When we were changing, she was looking through your cabinets for some perfume."  
Julie shut her eyes in frustration. Raven smiled.  
Rose approached Julie and offered her hand. "If you want, dear Julie, I can wear makeup and flatten my boobs so that I can look like a guy."  
"Thanks for the offer," said Julie, her tone of voice making us sure that she felt better. "Even with the makeup, it still won't look the same under your pants."  
Rose gave her a laugh and a hug. It was interrupted by a throat clearing Raven. Thank goodness someone had the sense to stop the shenanigans. A part of me however, wanted it to continue so I could get some popcorn.  
Nothing like a well placed dramatic soap opera to melt down my nervousness.  
We all huddled towards the picture. Raven went to the kitchen, took apart a mop with her bare hands and went back to the table. She looked at us, while Julie and I stared at her open mouthed. "What?" she asked. "I know a gym nearby here. I always get in shape."  
"O.k. that's understandable but, you snapped it like a twig," I replied.  
"Relax alright? I need a good pointy thing to teach you girls what I want you to do, so I can be like a teacher."  
"Well that makes sense, I think."  
"I'll buy a new one tomorrow."  
"I'll remind you later sir," said Rose with a salute.  
"If we get out alive of course," said Julie in another attempt to be the smart mouth of the group. Rose held on to her gun very tightly and said,  
"You may begin speaking sir. We'll ask questions in case we are confused."  
That got Julie to shut up. I took a stool and sat down next to Raven.  
"Very well," she said. She sharpened the stick with a knife given to her by Rose to shrink it into a smaller, thinner stick that you would see in a pool table. A game sure seemed to be a nice idea right about now. "O.k. here is how I suggest we get this done. Now, Katherine and Julie, since you two are unfamiliar with this area, I'll try to explain this a bit slowly and with more information, understand?"  
"Sure. Go for it," I responded.  
Julie whisked her right hand in a gesture telling for her to continue. I'm glad she's paying attention to Raven instead of the shiny rifle next to her.  
"Well, this particular cliff is called 'Beachy Head' near the town of Eastbourne; the southernmost point from London. There is a patrol area near the railing that separates the boundary of the cliff to the road. I'm sure with the information that Katherine and Julie have provided me, Harumi has either told the officers to leave or at worse, killed them. I really hope it's the former."  
I stared at the drawing to see that Raven was pointing towards the edge of the paper. The area of the cliff that was enclosed looked to be at least twenty inches in paper. If the paper were to be viewed as Raven's Google Earth -there was no computer at all around her apartment-, then something as dangerous as Raven's machine would really have a clear straightway to stretch from England to Central Europe. It was a very spacious area, an area that, in my guess, would provide us with bait in the form of Muchiko and Natasha.  
Julie raised her hand. Probably thinking the same thing I was thinking. "Raven, what does this machine do?"  
Yup, the exact same question.  
"I'm glad you asked," she replied.  
"Well, I was going to ask it sooner or later."  
"I know. Well to answer your question, it's an object that is not supposed to be finished yet."  
"So what does it do?" Julie repeated.  
"It's supposed to release the brain's inner most demons so that people can actually make smart decisions and lower the crime rate."  
"So basically, you made something that can tell the person what's good and what's bad in whatever they are going to do?" I asked.  
"Yup, that's basically it in a nutshell."  
"Well, it does work with anything, even animals," said Rose, who was mainly quiet throughout most of the conversation.  
"If what you say about Harumi is true," continued Raven, "then she will alter the minds of all those people, teens, and children either to renounce their orientation or to hate it all together. It would cause hatred against each other, and against themselves."  
Julie banged on the table. "Enough with the information! Can we fast forward to the part about stopping this asshole?"  
"Hold it Julie," I shouted. "Raven, did you ever announce this invention to the world or to a public figure?"  
"No. No one. It was a secret...damn..."  
Raven trotted back to her room. Rose followed her. Julie and I just stared at each other.  
"You think it was her time?" she asked.  
"Time? For what?"  
"You know...stomach cramps."  
I gave a soft punch to her elbow. That was really rude for her to even consider. It was still an option as to how Raven was feeling. I guess she was holding it in for a very long time. Raven and Rose came back, holding a laptop.  
A really silver sparkly clean laptop. How awesome.  
I know that she took it out to hopefully show us something important, but a part of me was too busy screaming out, "Show offs!" Raven placed the laptop on the table where the map was, while Rose turned it on.  
"What are you planning to show us?" said Julie.  
"I wanted to show you my website. It was where I announced the invention," she responded.  
She typed away while Rose went into the fridge and poured herself some water. I got a good look at her feet which were covered by a weird assortment of different socks; her left side was green and the other side was red.  
"Where did you think of coming up with something so unique for your socks?" I asked, very perplexed.  
Rose gave me a well thoughtful smile.  
"Just something I wanted to do for our special rescue today."  
I simply gave her a thumbs up and realized that if someone this weird was one of Raven's best soldiers, I shiver to think of her other well trained best soldiers and what other weird things they do that seemed so "comfortable" to them.  
Raven's voice echoed through the room.  
"Dammitt!"  
"What's wrong? You see something you weren't supposed to see?" said Julie.  
Raven quickly shut off her computer and her phone started to ring. She quickly answered it.  
"Yes yes I know! I just checked it! No relax. I'll be fine. Yes I'm still going with the plan I thought of. Yes Rose arrived a few minutes ago. O.k. goodbye."  
She slowly closed her phone.  
"Is something the matter boss?" Rose asked Raven.  
She was more frightened than anyone else was in the room. I would be to, if only I knew what was going on.  
"Our system has been demolished by a virus. This Harumi character is the only person I can think of who would try and do such a thing."  
"Why would she disable our systems further? She has already gotten the device."  
"Wanna know why?" shouted Julie, almost off the top of her lungs. "She's a stupid piece of trash that really doesn't deserve to live. I mean, for someone who doesn't respect the rights of others and who hates her very own flesh and blood sister, she really has to be stopped. That's why she did that. No remorse for anything or anyone."  
I suddenly began to clap.  
"That was an awesome speech Julie," I said.  
She immediately took a bow. Rose shedded a tear. Raven threw her laptop right at her sofa.  
"No time to waste everyone! Huddle up!" We all gathered by the drawing. No one said a word as Raven began speaking. "Rose, I want you to place yourself on the farthest tree. Makes sure no one absolutely sees you climbing or make anyone look at you suspiciously, understand?" "Understood."  
Raven nodded and turned to Julie. "I remembered from you and Katherine that Harumi uses things from the Bible correct?"  
"Yes that is true."  
"Like what?"  
"Well, she got most of the plagues down, flood, water ripping, and other works. Why do you ask?"  
"I wanted to try out something. I wanted to try and create a twin."  
Oh boy. This was certainly going to be an interesting plan.  
"So what do you need?"  
"If you were to describe one of her friends, her closest friends really well, Rose and I could try and attempt to make the same exact duplicate of the person. It will be tough to attempt, but it's worth the shot."  
"Sure thing."  
Julie grabbed me by the throat. "And here's your guinea pig," she said happily.  
I swung her arm around, forcing her to let go. I kept staring at Raven, who stared at me in return with some hope in her eyes. I really had no choice.  
"O.k. fine. Make me a Bianca clone," I blurted out.  
"Cool!" said Julie very excitedly. "I need paper to write down an accurate description."  
Rose handed her the paper. I stopped everyone.  
"Wait a minute. My hair has a tint of blue on it. And she's a braided brunette. How's that going to work?"  
"Silly Katherine," said Raven with a smile. "You underestimate me and Rose on fashion. Julie, when we get to the cliff, you capture this Bianca person. Katherine will escort me straight to the beast herself; pretending that she has me captured."  
"Can I just shoot Harumi?" said Rose.  
"No. I want her alive for interrogation."  
"After all of this, then what?" I asked.  
"We smash the machine and then the rest, accordingly, is on fate's hands."  
The goal was to get close to Harumi and make it seem like I, as Bianca, captured a lesbian. This was all good for me, but the plan all relied on the hands of Raven and Rose and how good their clone of Bianca was going to look like.  
"Just give us half an hour," said Raven as she rubbed my hair and escorted me to the bathroom. Julie began to write as Rose began to comb me and painted brown dye in my hair. I simply just closed my eyes. I heard all three of them speaking rather quickly. I kept my eyes closed to feel Rose braid my hair, to smell Raven color my nails and to hear Julie trotter back and forth in an out of the bathroom. You would think by all of what was going on, it felt as though they were planning a surprise party. At least when I planned a surprise party, it was mostly painful and full of broken plates that were clumsily dropped; that was Jessie's department.  
This actually felt rather different. There wasn't an inch of pain to be felt all over my body. Raven went to my foot and cut a nail. Oh well, the pain was certainly to come sooner or later. I didn't fall asleep, but I did picture Muchiko in my head. Someone as intelligent as her actually would let herself get captured so easily, you would think that she...let that happen.  
I shook my head away from the hands that were braiding my hair and managed to speak with my eyes still closed.  
"Can someone get Julie for me please?"  
"I'm standing right here. Speak quickly; Raven's about to work on your face. You should be happy though, you get to have blue contacts."  
I nodded at the somewhat agreed statement that she gave me; anything to make her jealous. So I told her my thoughts:  
"Muchiko let herself get captured."  
The work on my body completely stopped dead in its tracks.  
"Why would she let herself do that?"  
"It's simple really."  
"No, it isn't."  
"O.k. listen. It's obvious. Muchiko knows Harumi as well as anyone. She wants Muchiko to actually show us what she's going to do to her. No audience, then no 'altering the world for her pleasure' machine."  
"So what you're saying is that, by letting herself get captured, she delayed the start of the machine?"  
"Not just that. The start of whatever idea she was planning in the first place. If she never got Muchiko, the Harumi would've probably said, 'oh screw it let's turn the thing on already.' That's why since we've been here, nothing has happened yet."  
"Actually, nothing can happen," interrupted Raven.  
The sound of her voice chilled through the air like a cold damp fog. Rose, of course, was the only person who knew what Raven was talking about. Julie put two and two together faster than I could.  
"I suppose she would need some sort of password to break open the system."  
"Correct," shot Raven. "Only I know the password, no one else, not even Rose. It is my machine after all."  
To me, that kind of made sense; except for the part about keeping secrets from your friends. I thought Raven knew better. I had a good look at Rose's face as I slowly opened my eyes. Her expression was downcast, but she broke even a small smile.  
"No worries. I have given her my word that I won't beat her out of telling me it."  
I covered my face with my right hand. "Good. But why does she need Muchiko; besides the using her as an example part?"  
Julie raised her hand.  
"Easy: she wants someone smart to break it open, so who better than her own sister."  
"Now hold on just a bloody minute," scowled Raven. Her face was keen to what Julie was getting at. "Only I know the password. This Muchiko person doesn't even know me. Harumi's already hacked into my system, so why in the world does she need her sister to do her bidding?" Raven, although relatively new to this operation, kind of got us by the short hair. It was as if Harumi was expecting Muchiko to be some sort of mind reader. With all of those tools at her disposal in her belt, I wouldn't be surprised if she could actually mix some sort of lotion or cream designed to read minds.  
This was a really tough puzzle to figure out. Rose was really quiet, sitting in a corner of the bathtub thinking rather hard as if her brain would burst. That really worried me. Someone as cute as her shouldn't die first because of a massive headache.  
Julie was the one who spoke first. "Raven, check your computer again to see if there are any changes. Maybe there's some hope in Harumi's head that she's actually left you alone."  
"By the way you two describe her, it sounds impossible that she would leave me alone, but I will check again."  
As soon as she started walking, I grabbed her left shoulder. My eyes matched her eyes and I gave her my very best puppy dog look. If this look was used to bother Jessie into giving me some candy, then by all means, it should've worked on someone as a British prospect. Raven saw that coming a mile away.  
"Katherine what are you doing? Let go."  
I used two hands this time, resisting her strong nature in trying to break my hold. Rose got up and tried to break it, while Julie stood back and watched. Rose almost broke my pinky finger off my right hand when she bent it to the left. That did the trick. Raven was already past the bathroom door, when my own words of hope rang through the bathroom to the living room. What I actually said, however subtle it might have been, made her drop her laptop again; it smashed onto the floor as pieces were heard scattering on the floor.  
"Check your phone!" I shouted out.  
There was silence for about a minute. Rose went and looked past the doorway while Julie stared at me. A phone was heard opening, then a scream, and finally the same phone was heard on the hallway wall with a loud crash. I hid a smile in triumph as Raven quickly came inside the bathroom. Julie didn't move at all, until she was actually pinched by Rose.  
"My phone...it's all static!" shouted Raven; the absolute sadness heard in her voice. "She hacked...into my phone?"  
"Unfortunately, yes she did," responded Julie.  
I stood up after about ten minutes of feeling uncomfortable sitting on the closed toilet seat. It was either that, or stay with a very painful backside.  
"May I ask you something, because I know some of my friends actually do this and it is a good idea...well sometimes."  
"Yes, sure. What is it?"  
"Please correct me if I'm wrong, but did you save THE password inside your phone in an encrypted way?"  
Raven sat down on the bathtub this time, very shameful. It looked as though she was about to get executed.  
"It wasn't secretive. And yes, I did place it inside my phone."  
Julie frowned. "Then we're screwed. So this still asks the question: if she knows how to hack into stuff, why does she need Muchiko?"  
Raven was about to speak, when I stopped her. This conversation wasn't going to drag on forever. Not on my watch.  
"We'll answer everything on the road. Raven, how long of a drive is it to Eastbourne?"  
Raven counted on her fingers. "I can make it in about fifty minutes."  
"Not fast enough. Try to make it in half an hour."  
"No problem." "  
Rose and Julie, you two know what to do correct?"  
Rose nodded.  
"Aye aye captain," said Julie, saluting in her best pirate impression.  
I needed a good laugh. I have to make a note to myself on at least thanking her on that one. "Good. Now, let's finish this up alright. No time to lose!" I ordered and shut my eyes again.  
Raven and Rose worked quickly now, while Julie ran into the living room. I felt my hair getting pulled, a blow-dryer, and finally, the embarrassing part: my clothes getting yanked off.  
"Didn't I just get these clothes out of the dryer? And now you want me to change into something again?"  
Julie came in.  
"It has to be something punk o.k.?" and left without even taking one look at me.  
I guessed she wanted to be surprised after the end result.  
"Rose, look under the fourth drawer on the left side of the bed. I may have something there that might suit her well. If not there, then the third drawer," said Raven to Rose. "And get my high heels."  
Rose nodded and was off.  
Raven turned to me. "I'll be right back as well. I have to make sure that Julie hasn't eaten all of my food."  
So Raven left as well. I didn't get up at all; not even to look at a mirror. It seemed that Muchiko was trying within all of her power to hold them steady at that location until we arrived. "Pretty good on your part," I thought to myself. "I would've given them the password and saved myself the torture."  
Rose came back a few minutes later. She didn't notice that Raven stepped out. I was glad Rose didn't find it embarrassing or a turn-on that I was again, with only my bra and panties, which happened to be the color that matched her hair. How lucky am I.  
"Try these on," she said.  
The shorts were cut up right above my knees. She handed me a black shirt that read: KEEP OUT OF REACH OF ADULTS. Probably the boldest statement I have ever read in my entire life. She also gave me a bracelet.  
"There we go," she said. "You look smashing!"  
Whether that comment was supposed to make me feel better, I had no idea. I held a deep breath and made a glance at the mirror.  
To say that Raven did a good job was a complete understatement. I was literally seeing Bianca looking right back at me. Creepy, but at the same time it was completely shocking. I flinched when I saw the opportunity to at least punch the mirror in the face. When I came to the realization that it was me, I completely held it back. I was dragged out of the bathroom and marched straight into the kitchen. Julie gave a small whistle, while Raven muttered the words "cute" from her breath, while giving me a hug.  
"Well Julie, is it really her?" she asked.  
She stood there opened mouthed.  
"Like wow. It's perfect. Really, really perfect." I stood there while Rose held on to me.  
"I'm so glad how I did the braids," she responded, slowly tugging at them. I brushed her away. "Get whatever else we need o.k.? We need to get moving," I commanded.  
All that was needed was Julie subduing the real Bianca long enough for whatever plan that we were about to do. I was still confused through all of this, but the high heel part was something I was used to walking with in the past, so I felt comfortable walking down the stairs. We approached the car, followed by a huge assortment of stares. Raven raised a hand to the onlookers.  
"For all LGBT! For all England!"  
They cheered and we drove off; hoping we weren't too late. On the way over, I realized about one small problem about the clone business that Raven has produced and has made tons of respect from.  
"Do any of you know where Bianca is from?"  
No one said a word. That was my mistake; if I was with the normal party of Muchiko and Natasha, then they would know what I was talking about. Julie tapped me on the shoulder.  
"Don't worry about that. I'm way ahead of you on that one."  
She cracked her knuckles while Rose looked on with sudden interest.  
"What the heck are you going to do?" asked Raven rather worriedly behind the wheel.  
"I'm going to make our dear Katherine rather sick with a sore throat."  
She held her right hand ready to chop me. I held it back.  
"No, I can pretend that I have a sore throat. No worries. All taught by my...former friend Rebecca."  
Julie stared at my eyes to check if I was lying. "Yeah you're clean."  
Rose turned away, rather looking disappointed that Julie didn't attempt to try and get me sick by trying to break my neck or whatever she tried to do. Luckily for me, I would stay alive. It took us half an hour, a tad bit quicker than Raven first told us. There was a gate right in front of us, but I couldn't see the huge assortment of Harumi's followers that I was hoping I would see.  
"Where is everyone?" I asked. Raven gave Rose her sniper rifle, as she climbed on top of the nearest tree. She then proceeded to lead Julie more ahead of my current position. I followed them, trailing behind. When we reached a smoked out building, we had a good glimpse of everyone. When I said everyone, I meant a few people.  
Harumi was banging a medium sized silver machine that was shaped like a rocket. There were only like four people surrounding her. In the middle, were Muchiko and Natasha, both tied up which seemed like handcuffs. This was turning out to be very dangerous. Bianca was there luckily, outside looking in. Julie came behind her and dragged her away, very swiftly and went behind a building on the corner.  
Raven looked at me."Play along, alright? Just capture me and all will roll itself like a red carpet," she said.  
I swallowed hard.  
"Sure thing."  
She started to run slowly.  
"Hey!" I shouted.  
I felt everyone turn around, eyes staring at me. I grabbed Raven by the neck and noticed a rainbow bracelet she had on her right arm. I stared at it.  
"Please don't hurt me," she said, sadly. "I'm just trying to get home."  
"Not today."  
I dragged her into the spacious area. Harumi looked up at me.  
"Bianca. I see you had a change of shoes," said Harumi. "Not fond of sneakers?"  
I gave a small cough. "No sir. I found this lesbian trying to run away."  
"Thank you. Send my darling sister to me immediately. We have just found the raven."  
I coughed a bit as I approached Muchiko. Natasha was currently knocked out. Muchiko looked at me very evilly, with the same expression Harumi provides on a daily basis. It was creepy and scary at the same time.  
"Shh, it's me Kathy," I said in a whisper. "Just play along." She gave a small sniff and a small nod. I noticed that her belt was enclosed with ice surrounding her. If Lisle captured it, why did he give it back to her? Very confusing.  
I untied the rope and reached through Natasha's pants. Muchiko held me back.  
"Just go alright?" she said. I picked her up.  
Natasha, while being supported by Muchiko, fell down and finally woke up. I turned around. She looked as though she just slept through a tornado. Her hair was sticking out in the worst way. What was worse was that she had a black eye. I wanted to scream and take down Harumi myself, but Muchiko felt my tension throughout my fingers and slightly held it, reminding me to calm down.  
Harumi approached me. For the second time, we were face to face and so far, she didn't see how I was a completely different Bianca than the one she hangs out with. I held on to Muchiko as Harumi grabbed Raven out of my hands. She kicked her back. Raven looked so afraid of Harumi that she was in tears. She didn't want to see any of this happen, but she took a deep breath and approached a keyboard. Under the keyboard, Raven pushed a button and out came another keyboard. She looked a lot sadder than before. From my view, I could tell that she was acting. "What's the matter?" said Harumi. "Can't you type?"  
"Of course I can. It's just that the passwords have to be type simultaneously on both computers. It takes me a while to do it, and also...I always do it with someone else."  
Like I said, acting. She just claimed to me that only she knows the password. Harumi cracked her knuckles and shoved Raven out of the way.  
"Wait a minute. You already know the password. Why do you need me for?"  
Harumi had an evil smile.  
"I want you and my sister to become my first test subjects."  
A loud gunshot was heard in the corner where Julie and the original Bianca disappeared to. I felt my heart drop all the way to my legs. Harumi pointed to two out of the four girls and then pointed to the corner. They hurried away.  
"What did you think that was all about sir?" I said in my calm but very sickly tone.  
"Not sure but they will be dealt with."  
Harumi looked at Raven and then at Muchiko.  
"Prepare yourselves, for in the eyes of God, you two will become normal."  
Muchiko fought with my grip. I was scared that she already forgot that I was Kathy and not Bianca because she proceeded in elbowing me on the mouth. She was nose to nose with her sister.  
"Listen pea-brain! How long are you going to keep this up huh? I have already cut myself a thousand times thanks to you!"  
Muchiko motioned her head to Raven. She rolled up Muchiko's right sleeve. It was very difficult to see a clear shot of any skin, but from what I could determine, she took cutting to a whole new level. The entire portion of her wrist, from her elbow to the palm of her hand was scarred completely. Her left hand was completely covered in the same exact fashion. Harumi's expression changed.  
"Sister, what have you done?"  
"Thanks to you bullying and teasing me; just because you caught me with a girl in bed!"  
It looked as though Harumi was about to give her a hug. Then all of this would be over, and apologies would be swung all around. Another gunshot was heard in the same corner. It snapped Harumi back to the killing thirsty female that she was. "It was good that you cut yourself. Maybe you'll learn a thing or two that sleeping with a female is the lost form of a female creature to endure. Extremely lower than dirt."  
She spit at her and then proceeded to head to the keyboard. Natasha, who was down before, head butted me in the back. I guess she was the one who didn't know that was me under there. One of Harumi's followers tackled her to the ground. Harumi laughed.  
"O.k. Natasha. Since you're in a huge rush to die, I wouldn't mind ending your life first."  
She pointed her gun at her head, when her phone went off.  
"Excuse me when I take this call," she said.  
I looked at Raven. She whispered a small "uh-oh" on her lips. Harumi quickly got off the phone. "Bianca, can you come over here a minute?" she said, with a sunny smile.  
I released Muchiko and tapped Raven on her hand. I hoped she knew that meant I needed a Rose of a miracle. Harumi held her hand in a pause motion and then kicked Muchiko to the ground. She then put my hand on her shoulder.  
"You feeling alright?" she asked. "You seem rather sick today."  
"No, no I'm fine."  
"That's good." She proceeded to punch me in the stomach and pointed her gun at my forehead. "You know you should've died with the bomb a day ago, Miss Katherine," said Harumi.  
I shut my eyes and heard someone fall down with the small nuzzle sounding of a rifle. Harumi looked around.  
"Doesn't that sound like a PSG1 to you?" said Harumi.  
I tackled Harumi to the ground, while Raven proceeded to untie Natasha. Harumi punched me hard on the side of the head and held me there; her leg on my back serving as her footstool. The other girl died before she could get a shot off.  
"Enough games!" said Harumi.  
She dialed a number on her phone. I tried to grab her leg and gave it my best to pull her away from me, but she was strong. Harumi made sure that my spinal cord suffered brutally upon her feet. That was very embarrassing.  
"Hurry and come over," she started shouting out. "You have to-".  
The phone was shot down as it plunged into the sea.  
"Hold your fire Rose!" shouted Raven.  
Harumi picked me up feet first, and held my head with her left foot.  
"Any of you come closer, and then her neck will be broken. And I'm sure you don't want that now do you?"  
What Harumi didn't bother to mention was the fact that I was losing air. My vision was starting to become blurry and my throat was starting to become sore. I couldn't hear what Raven was saying while she was waving to the area where Rose was perched, but I had a clear view of Harumi taking out something from her belt.  
"I'm sure you remember this substance now do you?" she asked me as I happened to have a very uncomfortable front row view of the purplish liquid that was now full.  
A louder gunshot was heard and the sound of ice shattering. We all paused and noticed that Julie was standing on the boundary of the cliff that connected the cliff with the small park and road. Harumi looked around her body to see if she was hit. She blinked once and saw Muchiko had her hands free and was holding on to a piece of her belt. Thank goodness. For a second I thought my leg was hit. I've been through enough pain throughout this adventure. Now with my back hurting and excessive leg pain, I was going to feel all of this the following day; I was sure of it.  
"I've said this to you before Harumi and now I'm going to say it again: Let her go, your quarrel is with me!" said Muchiko with such force that it would've been able to move a mountain.  
Harumi uncorked the test tube and eyed Muchiko.  
"Not another step sister, or else she will turn to salt, in which I will put on my food later," said Harumi rather evilly.  
I didn't know what Muchiko had planned, but I wasn't going to get involved. I had to act quickly or else no air for me. Muchiko was whispering something to Natasha. Natasha was screaming "No don't! Are you crazy?"  
I saw Muchiko's lips move, but could barely hear what she was saying. If they could only scream like Natasha, then my hearing would've been better with what the others were saying.  
I saw her point towards my left. A helicopter looked to be coming with twenty miles off our direction. That's not good.  
I saw Julie arrive as Muchiko whispered something on her ear. She gave Muchiko a lighted match. She then was a few feet towards us. Harumi noticed the same thing I did about Muchiko. Her belt was removed and held it with one hand while the lighted match in another. Harumi was an even quicker learner than I was when she responded by saying: "Don't you dare."  
"Your so called 'revolution' has ended in failure. I will repeat myself one last time: come back and be with me in our family."  
The helicopter was coming closer now. Julie took aim at it. Raven held her off.  
"Muchiko, whatever it is you're going to do, you best do it now," said Raven.  
Harumi looked up and down at Muchiko. She finally had the clue down that she was surrounded. What worried me was that helicopter coming over.  
"You can kill me sister, but you'll never kill the one who made the waters split in half, and the one who almost made the earthquake."  
Muchiko gave a small smile as she turned the torch towards her belt.  
"Not I sister, but Katherine will." The moment those words came out of her mouth, I added the situation together in my head.  
"Muchiko don't!"  
Rose came down from the tree and screamed.  
"Stop!" she screamed as she aimed her gun.  
Too little, too late.  
There was too little I could've done to stop her from running full speed ahead at the one she loved the most. Harumi threw me to the side where I was saved from hitting the ground by Natasha. Muchiko tackled Harumi over the edge, and lit her belt on fire. I knew and Natasha knew that her belt was seventy percent flammable. A glow of light appeared and then an explosion that seemed like it was an eruption followed. Natasha pulled me away as Julie, Rose, Raven, Natasha and I ran to safer ground and collapsed on the ground. The cliff shattered into pieces; the majority of the pieces fell into the English Channel. The machine that Raven invented was caught in the explosion as well. I sat on the ground, shaking with fear, trying to decipher what at least happened.  
I don't know whether her strategy was a winning one; Harumi was gone for good. Muchiko looked as though she had no choice in trying to end this whole tour. If they couldn't be together, they would be together in death. I knew that wherever they were, hopefully they won't be separated. I couldn't cry; the breeze from the helicopter came in our direction, drying my tears. Beatrice was there, the falcon was perched onto her shoulder. Lisle was there and had an AK-47 pointed right at us; more importantly, right at me.  
A much older Asian gentleman was holding a body of a bigger woman. His first words actually identified himself, and the answer to the catastrophic events of nature all over Europe.  
"So, I see that my two daughters actually decided to take the easy way out."  
Natasha stepped up first.  
"Muchiko said to us that you were dead. What gives?"  
"That's where you're wrong my Russian friend. I guess their mom will join them both."  
He threw the body right down the English Channel. There was no way to save her, unless we wanted to eat bullets provided by Lisle. He then continued.  
"I must congratulate you and your friends. You delayed the refreshes of the minds. You won't be so lucky again."  
"Wait," I said. "Who are you?"  
He cleared his throat. "Remember my name: Hiro."  
With that said, and a smiling wave by Lisle, he was gone. Natasha couldn't stop looking down below at the English Channel. Julie looked upset.  
"What happened to you?" asked Raven. We heard shooting."  
"Oh. Well the 'real' Bianca and I had a fight. Two of Harumi's girls came over. I stopped them, and then Bianca escaped. I'm sorry I failed you," said Julie with her head down.  
I don't know anything about ranks, but I have never seen Julie look as downcast and upset as she did. It was as if Julie turned on a switch by accident which then shut off the entire universe. Raven gave her a hug. Natasha wiped her forehead with the palm of her hand. I just stepped back and looked at all of them.  
"You girls wanna rest?" I asked.  
All of them started to look at me.  
"Well, I am kind of tired," said Raven.  
"Not me," I said. "I know where he's headed."  
"Wonderful. Where?"  
"Well, in that dream I had with the farmhouse, there were newspaper articles in boxes on a closet under the stairs."  
"Sounds familiar, but continue anyway."  
"Right. Well, there were articles that told about the Stonewall riots."  
"O.k. That doesn't sound good," said Rose.  
"But there is some good in that." They all leaned closer to me, trying to see what I was about to say. "Strap on your shoes. We're heading to New York!"  
Natasha and Julie stared at each other. They both screamed so loudly, I was afraid more pieces of the cliff would be broken. Raven gave a small clap.  
"What's wrong?" I asked her, avoiding the elbows thrown by Julie and Natasha dancing happily together in celebration.  
"I cannot go with you. Neither can Rose."  
The dancing suddenly stopped. All eyes were now on Raven.  
She continued. "I gave a promise to my crew here that I will stay and defend my country no matter what happens. I would go if I could; it seems so much fun."  
I took a deep breath and extended my hand. She looked at it and she grabbed it.  
"Thank you so much Raven for your help. I wish you the best."  
Raven smiled. "Same for you."  
She began to walk but then stopped and turned around. "When are you girls planning on going?" Good question. I looked at Natasha.  
"You got enough money for three tickets?"  
She took out her card which, miraculously, wasn't stolen from her wallet, and simply weighed it off the palm of her hand.  
"Feels kind of heavy. We can manage," she replied.  
"Wait, how did you keep your wallet from getting stolen like that? They never checked anything on you?" asked Julie.  
"Nope. There's no money on it and I didn't carry a weapon, so they were like 'oh well' and put it back nicely."  
That was an honest relief. I tapped Raven on the shoulder.  
"How did you know the cloning thing would work?" Raven was about to speak, when Natasha butted in.  
"That's the Jacob and Esau story right? Off blind Isaac right?"  
I really don't know how to contain her. Julie walked behind us whistling as we headed back to Raven's car. Muchiko and Harumi were both gone, but now the crisis was much bigger than originally imagined. Muchiko did her part in stopping Harumi; at the very cost of her own life.  
Now the three of us: a female off the Italian military and a Russian otaku cosplayer were all that stood in Hiro's way. It was like we were off to kill the wizard.  
We didn't have super powers, or the knowledge able to find his weakness; that was Muchiko's job. We only had each other. Confusing as heck, but what can I say. That's all that mattered. Now to get some much needed food. I lost probably twenty pounds running around the continent. I needed to re-fuel. I needed to re-fuel now. Things were going to get nasty in a hurry. I liked that. Cleaning things up turned to be a good hobby of mine lately.  
We started as random strangers on a random quest to save a whole bunch of random people. Somewhere along the line, we became a family.


End file.
